New York Dream
by Zoja
Summary: Sue accepted the job in New York and never changed her mind about going there. The decision was only the first one of all of huge changes, which were to take place in her life. J/S fluff.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** My view of what could have happened if Sue hadn't changed her mind about going to New York. It focues mainly on Sue, Jack, Levi and people who they meet there, but the team will be present every now and then, too. I hope you're going to like it.

**Signing.** _Flashback._

* * *

**Chapter 1**

He went out of the plane on the airport in New York and slowly made his way to the place where he could claim his luggage. When he finally had his bag he went out of the building and found an empty taxi. He told the address to the driver and leaned his head against the headrest, closing his eyes. He was tired, but still felt very happy. He couldn't wait to see the expression on Sue's face when she'll open the door and see him. She had no idea that he was coming; by now she was probably disappointed, or maybe even angry, that he didn't even call her to wish her happy birthday. He was ready to bet that she thought he has forgotten, but he didn't. He may have not had the best memory to dates, but twenty fourth of May, the day of her birthday, was one of those days which he remembered about. Actually, he remembered every important date connected to her person – the day of their first meeting, the day she became the part of the team, their fake wedding day, the day of their first kiss (even if it started as the part of their undercover investigation to avoid getting caught), the day when she announced that she decided to accept a new job in New York, and finally, the whole day before her leaving, which he was able to spend with her.

_It was her last day in D.C. Her bags were in the boot of his car, because in the evening he was taking her to the airport. It took him a while, but he was able to convince Lucy to let him have Sue all for himself. Only when he explained to her what he had planned, she agreed but promised to kill him if he won't do everything he told her. He knew that he had to do it; it was his last chance before being separated from Sue, and he couldn't let her move to New York without knowing his feelings. _

_He tried to talk to her about it a few times. He almost admitted what he felt a few times but every time he tried to, someone interrupted. Only then Bobby gave him the idea of spending the last day with her, doing whatever she would want and he was pleasantly surprised when she accepted the offer. _

"_So, what do you have planned for today?" she asked through tears when she approached him, when he waited for her in front of the building, where she lived for past three years. She just said goodbye to Lucy, and the first thing he did was to take her into his arms and let her calm down. She leaned against him, buried her face in his shoulder and cried, and he held her in his arms, caressing her back and whispering comforting words, even though he knew that she couldn't hear him. _

"_I thought that today can be completely about yourself. I wanted to spend some time with you before you go to New York, but I also wanted you to remember the day forever in a good light." he said when she withdrew herself from him. _

"_Then you can take me to all important places here, so I can also say goodbye to them." she said, and he only nodded, opening the door to the car for her. _

_Until the evening, they have visited almost all of the places which meant something for Sue. There were a lot of places where she met her friends, where something important for her happened and she had tears in eyes almost all the time. Jack held her in his arms every time she wasn't able to fight them anymore; he didn't even think about saying a word about it, because he knew that it was a tough decision for her, but it really had a lot of advantages. One of them included him – with her leaving the team, they weren't working together anymore and it was giving them the chance to be something more if only she wanted it as much as he did. _

"_I'm going to miss this fountain…" she said, when they sat at the edge of it to eat lunch. It was exactly the same fountain, where they sit with Lucy and Charlie in the morning after spending the night in hospital, when Levi got shot on her first investigation. "I know that I say that in every place, but…"_

"_It's okay, Sue. I felt the same way when I was leaving Wisconsin to come to D.C.. I went out for a walk to see all of the important places for the last time before leaving the town, and I could remember everything that happened there during all those years… I almost regretted the decision to leave…" _

"_That's exactly how I feel… But, coming to D.C. turned out well for you, so maybe my leaving for New York will also be good." she sighed and smiled sadly. "But I'm afraid I'm not going to fit there, and I'm going to miss everyone from here." _

"_We'll be visiting each other, and I am sure that everyone will agree that you can call anytime if you want to talk. And if the people there won't accept you as you are, just call me and I'll be on the first plane to New York to tell them how stupid they are." _

_She smiled at his words, and he felt his heart jump. He always reacted this way when she was looking at him like that, when a smile appeared on her face and it was actually meant for him. He just looked at her for a moment, and she quickly recognized the expression in his eyes. He had it often for the past few days; sadness was most visible among all of the other emotions, but she could also recognize others. She placed her hand on his, and squeezed it. _

"_Something's wrong?"she asked and he sighed, smiling sadly. _

"_Well… I just thought that I'm going to miss our dinners, walks, talks… It won't even be a part of it on the phone… I'm going to miss you terribly, not only at work but personally… You are a wonderful person and you really changed everything for the better, including my life. You know, it's not going to be the same without you here and I actually can't imagine how it's going to be not seeing you every day in the morning and…" his voice broke, the sadness in his expression visible even more. He sighed again and swallowed the lump in his throat. _

"_I was trying to say that for a few times now, but every time I wasn't able to finish… I really don't want you to go, even though I completely support your decision when it comes to the professional side of it. Personally I hate the fact that you're going to be so far away… We'll be able to talk and visit each other, but I still feel like I'm losing you... It also made me realize that I was an idiot, that I took for granted everything we shared for the past three years… I mean, for me it was something unusually special and I acted like it was going to stay like that forever, and now it became obvious that it won't look like this…" He made a stop, looking at her face, but he couldn't really read what she felt. She was watching him carefully, focusing on reading everything he wanted to tell her. _

"_I don't want you to leave without knowing what I'm now trying to say… And I'm not trying to make you change your decision, because I don't know if I'd be able to work with you knowing about all of it, but…" he raised his right hand up, making a combination of letter I, L, and Y in sign language – the sign which completely expressed his feelings. _

_He noticed the change in the way she looked at him when she noticed it. Her eyes widened, and tears immediately appeared on them, and after a moment of hesitation he felt her wrap her arms around his neck, as she hugged him tightly. He cupped her face in his hands when she moved away, and wiped the tears away from her cheeks with his thumbs. She had a huge grin on her face as she looked into his eyes. _

"_I love you too, Jack." she said slowly, before closing the gap between their faces and touching his lips with hers. _

_Her kiss was very shy at first, especially that Jack didn't respond to it at first, being completely shocked by her reaction. When it finally reached him that she said what she did say, he kissed her back, pulling her closer to himself and deepening the kiss. They had no idea how long they were lost in the passion, but when they parted, they were both panting. He touched her forehead with his and she opened her eyes slowly, only to get lost in the gaze of his brown ones. _

"_If it was supposed to make leaving easier for me, then it had exactly the opposite effect…" she said after a moment and Jack nodded. _

"_Yeah… But it made me realize that your leaving has good sides, too." he smiled slightly, and continued when he saw questioning look in her eyes "We can say that we're not in the same team anymore so there are no rules, which can stop us from trying to make it work. I don't think I'll be able to go back to the way we've been for past three years knowing, that you reciprocate my feelings…" _

_She only kissed him for an answer but he had no doubts that she felt the same way. They didn't need any words for an understanding, that they'll do everything they can to make it work._

"Sir?" he heard the voice, which got him out of his thoughts. He opened his eyes and saw the driver look at him with raised eyebrows. He looked around and realized that the car has stopped and they had to reached the place.

He paid the driver, took his bag out of the boot, and then went into the building. He found the door to her flat without problems, even though he has never been there before. She has left D.C. few months before, but none of the team members visited her in New York. It was Sue who came to D.C. two months earlier, when she had to meet with members of the Congress, and also visited her friends. He knocked at the door and waited; he could hear her shout "Levi!" and "Just a moment!", so he just laid the bag on the floor and waited. It turned out to be a great idea, because the moment the door opened, she threw herself at him.

"Jack!" he noticed a huge smile appear on her face and she didn't hesitate to hug him tightly. His arms, immediately went around her waist, pressing her even tighter against himself. She moved back only a little, to cup his cheek with her hand and place a gentle kiss on his lips. They stood in each other arms, in front of the door for a longer while, completely lost in the kiss. It started innocently, but it quickly changed into a very passionate one; they put all of their feelings into it, showing how much they missed each other.

"Come on in." she said after they finally parted, and he lifted his bag and followed her into the flat.

She closed the door behind him and he looked around. The place wasn't big; there was only one bedroom, the second and bigger room that Sue used as the living room, the kitchen and the bathroom. He knew that for Sue it was enough, and she didn't even spend so much time here. A moment later he looked back at her.

"**Happy birthday**" he smiled, when he saw a huge smile appear on her face.

"**Thank you**" she kissed his cheek, and he wrapped his arms around her waist again.

He felt her immediately melt into his arms, and he closed his eyes, breathing in her scent. He missed her even more than he thought. He could feel it only now, when she was with him, when he could take her into his arms, feel her smell, see her face and smile.

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming?" she asked when he let her go after a moment, still smiling widely.

"I wanted to surprise you, so telling you wasn't an option." he explained, and she nodded.

"You don't know how happy I am that you're here… I just wouldn't have made plans for tonight if I had known that you're coming. My friends are throwing a birthday party for me and I think it would be inappropriate not to come…"

"You're right, you should go. I'll be fine with staying here, I'm a big boy and can manage on my own…"

"There's no way I'm leaving you here alone!" she said immediately and he sighed. He could see in her eyes that there was no way of persuading her to do otherwise. "I'm sure that they won't have anything against me bringing you, but if you're too tired I'm going to call them that I can't make it."

"No! Don't do this. Just give me a while to freshen up and I'll go with you."

She didn't look convinced but she nodded. She was looking forward to this party, because it was a wonderful opportunity to spend more time with her new friends. Still, spending time with Jack was much more important for her, and she was ready to stay with him. His reaction, however, told her that he didn't want her to miss it so she just left the topic.

Almost an hour later they were both ready to leave the flat. Sue spend the time in front of the mirror, finding the perfect outfit, deciding what she was going to do with her hair and matching the jewelry. When Jack came into the bedroom she noticed his raised eyebrows, but at least one of the decisions was made because he immediately approached her and undid her hair, letting it fall loosely onto her shoulders.

"I think it's a good thing that I decided to accompany you. I don't know who is going to be there, but for me it looks like you want to make a huge impression on somebody…" he smiled, brushing the hair aside from her shoulder and kissing the exposed part of her skin.

"Of course it's my intention! You know, there is going to be this guy, who is terribly handsome and who I want to lose his head for me, so I have to look perfect!" she smiled at the expression on his face, and shook her head "I meant you, you know?" she added after a moment, and felt his arms around her waist.

"Yes, I just started to wonder if they know anything about me? About us?" he asked and Sue's smile faded a bit.

"I told them that there is a guy in my life, who lives in D.C. and I really love him, but I don't think that they believed me… I said that to make them stop trying to find a guy for me here, but it didn't work so I think it's going to be a bit of a surprise for them that you really exist."

"I can't wait to see their faces, then!" he smiled, and left to let her finish getting ready.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you for reviews, and also for reading. I'm glad that someone reads my scribbles. Here is the second chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 2**

They went out of the taxi in front of the pub, where Sue always went to with her new friends. They went inside and she pointed to the group sitting around the table next to the window - their table, as Sue explained. One of them, a young Asian woman who he knew had to be Yoshike, spotted them first and got the attention of the others. Everyone had surprised expressions of their faces when they noticed Sue put her arm through Jack's, showing that it wasn't just an incident that they went in together.

When they approached them, Sue introduced them to each other and Jack had the opportunity to carefully look at them. Yoshike was a person of Japanese origin; she was quite short and of small built, with shoulder-length, black hair and dark eyes. Louis was sitting next to her; he was Jack's height, had a short, unruly, blonde hair and green eyes; the first thing that caught everyone's attention was his paleness, but he just had such a light skin. On the man's left Jack noticed the second woman, Julie. She was of medium height, with shorter, dark blonde hair and blue eyes hidden by glasses. She looked to be the calmest person in the company. Then, finally, Jack's eyes landed on Greg - the man who should be the first one to catch attention. He was six feet and eight inches tall and quite muscular; his hair was dark and his eyes were hazel. He was the first one who greeted him.

"It's nice to meet you." he said, when he stood up extending his hand and Jack shook it. "Forgive them, they're just surprised. For a few months they were serving as matchmakers for Sue, so the existence of a boyfriend ruins their work, a bit. But I'm sure the girls will quickly get over it and start to plan your wedding." he winked at Jack and both men smiled.

Jack quickly noticed that this group was very unusual, as it consisted of few completely different people. They had completely different personalities, and even though they all worked for the F.B.I. they were from different units. Yet, they were able to not only meet, but become really good friends. Sue said that they quickly made her a part of their group and it was something that worked very well for them in Jack's eyes. They left the empty chair for Sue on another side of the table, and even during first minutes in their company, Hudson was able to notice that they made sure to have Sue's attention before speaking, and sometimes even signed a little. It assured him that they really accepted her the way she was.

"Now, that we know that Jack really exists, it would be nice to hear something about your relationship!" said Yoshike and others agreed with her. "You can start by telling us how you met!"

"By mistake." Sue's cheeks immediately turned a bit pink and it didn't escaped anyone's attention.

"She thought I was working in Personnel, because my team moved to the office where it was few days earlier. She stormed into the room and demanded a transfer. You'd have to see her face when she realised her mistake!" Jack chuckled, when he noticed Sue's blush deepening. "She ran away, but Levi got my attention so I sought her out and she joined the team."

"We worked together for three years and a lot happened during those months. He was my training agent and we became good friends. About a year after the meeting we got married." Sue grinned at shocked expressions on her friends' faces.

"We divorced quite quickly, though. However, we still were dating sometimes, and even got married again but divorced even faster than the first time."

"He got married again, but it seems that he still had something for me, because he cheated on his wife with me. They got a divorce when she found out about it, because we got caught. We didn't stop dating from time to time, and then I got the offer to move here. As you know, I accepted it."

"Then, I told her that I can't live without her and because we aren't working together, anymore, we decided to be together."

"For real, this time." added Sue, finishing and both, she and Jack, laughed because of the way the four other people were looking at them.

"Wow." Julie was the first person to say something "You've got quite a history, even though most of it was undercover, as I understand. Still, it's nice that you were friends before you decided to be together. Relationships which start with friendship are the best, and they last really long."

It turned out to be a great evening for everyone. Jack really enjoyed spending time with Sue's friends and completely understood why Sue liked them. After seeing the way they acted, and listening to their conversations he was sure that it was never boring with them. They were also very kind, and always explained everything what he didn't understand. He was able to forget how tired he was, and soon didn't feel it anymore. It was late when the party came to an end. It was a warm night and Jack and Sue decided against taking a taxi. They agreed on a walk, as Sue's flat was quite close and they didn't have to hurry.

"It was a really nice evening." said Sue, when they were slowly walking.

"Yes, it was. I was a bit afraid of going but my fear turned out to be completely unnecessary."

He took her hand in his and she chuckled. She thought that the way she felt was a bit funny. Yet, she couldn't help but thought that for everyone around they had to look like a pair of teenagers, who were in love for the first time. They just wanted everyone to see that they were with each other, and that they were really happy, even by holding hands during walk. With previous men she dated she had though that it was very childish and she felt uncomfortable. For the first time it just felt right; with Jack she completely didn't care what the others would think. The only important thing was that he was with her and that night she was even happier, because she really missed him. She thought it was unfair that now, when they finally were a couple, she almost didn't see him at all. She was also afraid; in her opinion long or even short-distance relationships didn't have sense in the long run, and that was exactly what they had. Still, she blamed only herself as she was the one to move; at the same time she knew that if she had decided to stay, Jack would have never made the step and this was what assured her that she had made the right decision.

Then, she suddenly felt his second hand on her arm, trying to get her attention and she looked at his face. She smiled at the puzzled expression and the questioning look he was sending her.

"Do you plan to share your thoughts with me?"

"I was wondering how long are you planning to stay in New York. I'd like to know how long I'm going to have you for myself."

"Well, this is a difficult question. I can't give you the exact number of days, because I'm not even sure myself how many of them there will be... But, if the best scenario happens, you're going to have me for yourself for as long as you're going to survive with me without throwing me out of the window."

"I don't think I know what you mean..."

"Don't kill me that I did that without consulting it with you, but I looked at the vacancies in the FBI here, in New York. It seems that one of the units needs a new agent with experience in field, whose responsibilities would be almost the same as mine in D.C.. I applied for it, but it seems that the supervisor is very demanding and there has been already six people before me who tried to get it and they didn't fulfil his expectations..."

"Her." corrected Sue, and Jack looked at her, surprised "I know what team you are talking about and the supervisor, C. Stuart, is a woman. C. stands for Camille. She really is a demanding person, but at the same time very fair. Greg is working in this unit, and he says that she only wants the best for the team and watches the candidates very carefully. She has high expectations and it's really not easy to meet them. The record for staying on the position by candidates is three weeks."

"Anyway, I applied for it and was accepted. Well, temporarily, but with the chance of getting the offer of permanent stay if I pass the trial period. I hope to be the lucky number seven."

"So, you may be staying in New York with me?" asked Sue, wanting to be sure that she understood him completely right.

Jack nodded and saw a huge smile light up her face. She threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. He immediately thought that her reaction was exactly the same as it was when he informed her, that she'll be a part of his team all those years ago. This time, however, she didn't move away embarrassed but cupped his face and kissed him. The kiss was completely innocent, just a way of showing the happiness, but it still had a big influence on them.

"But... What with the team in D.C., with your friends, with everything you had there..?"

"_Our_ friends completely support my decision. They said that I'll always be welcome back if I don't get the job permanently, but that they hope it's not going to happen. I'll sound like one of the people from those mawkish romantic films, but the only thing that matter is that you are here. What I want is to be with you, because I know that we've got something absolutely special and I don't want it to be destroyed by the distance between us."

"You are right." she said and Jack smiled "It sounds like something from mawkish romantic film." Jack's smile immediately faded and was replaces by the wounded expression. "However, in those films those sentences would be a part of proposal, the man would be on his knees in front of the woman, holding a box with a beautiful ring, telling her that he loves her and wants to spend her whole life with her... And, at the end, he'd ask her to marry him... So, as long as you don't plan to fall on your knees in front of me and propose, nobody is going to think that those mawkish films are your inspirations."

"No, I don't plan to propose. Not now, anyway." he added quickly, afraid of being misunderstood "One day I may... But, you aren't going to know."

"You haven't even gotten the job, yet. It may turn out that you'll have to go back to D.C., so you really can't plan anything."

"Even if I'm not going to get this job, I'm staying in New York. Even if I'll have to be a homemaker, because I won't be able to get any job. Unless you're going to send me to D.C., because you won't want to maintain me. But, let's believe that I'm going to get this job, okay? You know me. I'm stubborn and when I want something, I don't give up until I get it."

They reached the building and went inside. Levi immediately ran to greet them when they entered the flat, happy that they returned to him. He left their sides only to bring his leash and drop it at their feet. Jack looked at Sue surprised, and she only smiled.

"So that's it of my shower. I have to walk him. I planned to do it before going but getting ready took me a bit longer than I thought it would." she explained and Jack leaned down to pick the leash up.

"I'll walk him. You go, do what you want to." he said and Sue gave him quick peck on the lips as a thank you.

He came back to the flat after half an hour and Levi immediately ran to the couch and laid down spread on the whole surface of it. The dog only watched him pass next to the furniture, and Jack smiled as he thought that he was looking at him in a way which looked a bit like he was wondering if Jack is going to chase him away from it. As he didn't hear the sound of the water he assumed that Sue has already finished her shower, so he went to the bedroom. He found her there, sitting at the bed and looking at the mirror on her bedside table as she was brushing her wet hair. The only light in the room was coming from the lamp on the bedside table. Sue was in a blue robe, and he could swear that it was the same one she had on herself during their undercover assignment, when he caught her, saving her from falling down on the floor or at him. He shook his head when the thought that her falling down on him wouldn't be such a bad thing.

He watched her as she was carefully brushing the wet curls of her hair, falling loosely in mess at her shoulders. She was focused on her task and didn't notice him, standing where he was. Thanks to it he could look at her and admire her beauty, as he couldn't take his eyes off her. He really missed seeing her everyday; it felt so strange when he looked up sitting at his desk and didn't see her face, catching him at doing it and sending him a smile. He missed their walks, their dinners; he even missed planning how to accidentally meet her somewhere. But the worst for him was not seeing her beautiful smile, the way her eyes always lit up when she was happy, and this loving way in which she has been acting towards him since he told her his feelings.

"How long are you going to stay in the door and stare at me?" she asked, turning her head to look at him when she was finished. He blinked a few times, getting out of his thoughts, surprised.

"Uhm... Sorry. It's just difficult not to stare when such a beautiful person is right in front of me." he said, slowly approaching the bed and smiled when he noticed her cheeks redden.

He sat at the bed, right behind her and put his arms around her waist. She nestled into them, placing her back against his chest. He smiled and nuzzled his face in her neck, breathing in a mixed aroma of her shampoo, shower gel and her own smell, and at the same time he placed a gentle kiss on the exposed part of her skin. His smile widened when he felt her shiver slightly at the touch of his lips on her neck. His soft kisses slowly moved down, to her shoulder and then he moved away slightly, when Sue turned around to face him.

"**You don't even know how much I missed holding you in my arms.**" he signed, and she smiled slightly.

"**I believe I do know.**" for a short moment she thought about adding that probably as much as she missed being in his arms, but stopped herself.

Instead, she just leaned to him and touched his lips with hers in a sweet, loving kiss. It turned to be a bit longer than she thought, and then was followed by the next one, and a few more, all of them getting more and more passionate with every moment. Her arms went around his neck, and she soon found herself pressed tightly against his body, kissing him with a mix of love, passion and desire. She moaned softly when she felt his hand carefully move under her robe, touching her hip. She shivered and could sense a bit of surprise when his fingers met directly her skin, but he didn't mind. He only groaned in response when her hands travelled to his chest, caressing it softly through the material of his shirt.

"Sue.." he said in a warning voice, when he reluctantly broke the kiss.

He knew that she had to see or at least know that he talked to her, but it seemed that she decided to completely ignore it. She started to place kisses on his face, jaw line, moving to his ear and nibbling at his ear. He groaned, when he felt the tip of her tongue teasing him and caught her hands when he felt them moving under his shirt.

"Sue, please stop..." he said, when he noticed her look at him and noticed her face expression change. She immediately looked down in embarrassment, feeling her cheeks burn from the humiliation.

"I'm sorry..." she muttered, looking at the unspecified spot. "I just thought that you'd want... ugh... me, but... Uhm, never mind." she said and withdrew her hands from his, standing up quickly.

He reacted immediately and grasped her arms, pulling her back to the place she was, sitting in front of him on the bed. His hand cupped her face and turned her, making her look at him.

"I do want you, Sue. You know that. But we talked about it. I don't want to rush you into anything you may not want or be ready for and..."

"What if I want it?" she interrupted, and he caressed her cheek with his thumb.

"Are you sure?" she rolled her eyes and nodded her head, and then kissed him again.

He kissed her back without hesitation and his arm immediately went around her, as he slowly laid her on her back. He carefully covered her body with his, making sure not to settle his full weight on her. He felt her hands travel shyly around his body, but they gained more courage when she felt him shiver and groan because of it. When he moved his face away from hers for a moment and looked into her eyes, he could see a mix of love and longing there and smiled. He reached to the side of the bed, found the switch and turned off the light, before his mouth found hers yet again, and not for the last time that night.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thank you for reviews and for following. And of course, thanks to everyone who decided to read it.

* * *

**Chapter 3**

It was a middle of the night and she was lying on her side, looking at the figure sleeping peacefully next to her. She watched him, wondering about everything what has changed since just the previous afternoon. She was so happy that Jack decided to come to New York for her, even though she was sure that leaving D.C. wasn't an easy decision for him, no matter what he was telling her. Still, it showed her that she was important for him and she felt the pleasant warmth in her hand at the thought. If someone had told her that they will be a couple when she first met him, she would have never believed. She was so convinced that a man like Jack Hudson can never even think about seeing her as someone more than just a friend, while he was able to have any woman he wanted just by one look of those eyes she loved so much and his famous smile.

Still, she wondered if she had done the right thing. She didn't regret that she had decided to give herself to him; she loved him so much and wanted him, too. She felt a little guilty about breaking her promise that she's going to wait for _the one_ man, but at the same time she felt that if there is such a man for her somewhere, he was now lying just in front of her. He was able to give her everything she had ever dreamed about and even more; it just felt so right to be with him and she was sure that she wanted to stay with him forever.

She couldn't help herself and moved her face closer to his. She placed her lips over kiss in a gentle, loving kiss and she noticed he stirred, but didn't wake up completely. She smiled when she felt his arm go around her and pull her closer, and she just snuggled to him. She didn't even know when she fell asleep but the next thing she remembered was something heavy on her and something wet on the back of her neck. Only when she felt a fur tickling her she realised that it had to be Levi's attempt to wake her up.

"Levi, down!" she groaned and raised herself from the comfortable position on her pillow, and as always she looked at the left side of bed, where the clock was placed.

She blinked few times, feeling sleepy, and then jumped when she realised that she was supposed to be in the office in less than an hour. She carefully slipped from under Jack's arm, which was placed around her back, because she didn't want to wake him but it quickly turned out that with all the sudden movement he wasn't awake.

"Why are you running away from me?" he asked in husky voice, looking at her sleepily and it brought a smile to her face.

"I'm not running away." she said and leaned down "I have to go to work. Sleep." she placed a soft kiss on his cheek and watched him nod, close his eyes and place his head back on the pillow.

She smiled and stood at the side of the bed for a little longer, just watching him. She wondered if he knew what an adorable sight to watch he was in the morning, when he wasn't really awake yet. It was a difficult thing, but she finally moved and started to get ready. She didn't have time for almost anything, she just showered, got dressed and it was time for her to leave. She decided she's going to buy something for breakfast on her way and take Levi for a short walk when they get to the office before time. She could see that he wasn't very content with it, but it was still better than nothing.

Few whiles later she was sitting behind her desk in her own office, watching the recording, which she got from one of the teams few minutes before she left work on the previous day. Luckily, even though it was marked as priority, she didn't have to stay overtime and promised it's going to be the first thing she's going to do in the morning. It was the only reason why she didn't call and take a day off. She would definitely rather spend the whole day with Jack, enjoying the fact that he was here, in New York.

She felt Levi's paw on her hand and looked up at the door; she saw the small lamp at the left from them shine. It was Julie's invention for her in response to her constant not answering when someone was knocking, because even though Levi got her attention, she couldn't be sure what was the reason for it. She was really surprised when one day she came and noticed the worker next to her door. Only then he explained to her that he was told to peg this lamp down on her wall with the switch on another side of the door. This way anyone who would want something from her, could light it instead of knocking and Levi would get her attention because of the sound – supposedly annoying, as people told her but she couldn't be sure. She was really indebted, as it really made it much easier for her.

"Come in." she said and the door immediately opened while the lamp go off and Yoshike came into the room.

One look at her was enough for Sue to know why she came here. The state of excitement she was in could only mean that she came to her with some newest, interesting information and gossips.

"You're busy?" she asked as she sat in the chair opposite to her, and Sue shook her head.

"Just finished decrypting the record and my eyes need a little break, so I'm not only not busy but I'll even enjoy some company." she said and the brunette's face was immediately lit by a smile.

"Good, because I just saw Greg after he went out from the meeting with Stuart. She informed them that yet another new team leader is coming to work with them. She didn't say exactly who it was, only that he's going to be here tomorrow morning. I guess that there would be bets about how long he's going to stay here around the building, soon. So, how do you think?"

Sue laughed, hearing her friends question. She knew very well why she decided to know her opinion – there were bets about it since the third time the person has resigned, and as for now Sue has won three out of four. It was a complete accident, as she didn't even see those people until after she has made the bet and had no idea what kind of people they were. It was also obvious, that she seemed to be one of not many people who knew anything about the new agent and wondered if she should tell Yoshike. However, she decided otherwise – she could act like she had no idea and have the opportunity to see their surprised faces when the personality of 'the biggest news in the building' will be revealed. She was sure that it was going to be very entertaining to see how her friends will be making their own bets about the look and personality of the new person; still, she hoped they would let her not be a part of this play, as it would be a huge cheat.

At the same time, she shook her head. Sue had no idea how she was doing it, but Yoshike seemed to always be in the right place at the right time to catch some hot news. She was always the best informed person in the building and some considered her the biggest gossiper, even though it wasn't completely right. When she was giving information, it was always certain that they were true. Of course, she knew all the gossips too but even when she passed them, she always mentioned that fact that they can be untrue. As she was working in the Personnel, she always knew when someone new was coming and there was no doubts that she was the first person to discover Sue's little joke when Jack's files get there.

"They say that seven is a lucky number, so I'd say that this person is going to stay till the end of trial period, maybe even stay permanently." she said after a moment, pretending that she's thinking about it. In fact she just decided to bet on what she wanted to happen.

"Well... It's a very brave bet, Sue..." she said, a little surprised "But I think it'll be good if it turns out to be true. The higher ups are a little bit more than frustrated that this positions remains vacancy, as it affects the team's work... We'll see. And now I have to get going; I still have to find Louis and I need to do some paperwork then. See you during lunch break, then."

With this words Yoshike was gone and Sue only smiled, shaking her head. It was not for nothing that Yoshike was called the little hurricane. Still, she was a very good worker, always informed and organized, and people liked to fix matters and problems with her. Sue jumped, when her Blackberry started to quaver on the desk. She smiled wider when she noticed that it was Jack, who decided to call her.

"Hi. I hoped for a better waking up than to finding out that you and Levi are gone..."

"I'm sorry but it's not like I had a choice. If not for a very important matter, I'd take a day off today to spend it with you. I'll make it up to you somehow."

"I'd ask you to cook me dinner but it's not going to sound nice as I'm the one who is going to have a whole day off, and you're going to come home tired after work... But what do you think about taking me to a nice restaurant? I'm sure you know few good places."

"I think I can agree to that. In fact, I have one place in mind, where I wasn't for a bit of time and would love to go there."

"Good. I'll make sure I won't have any date then so I won't leave you waiting for me."

"I'm sure that reminding you that Levi isn't really willing to share the couch with anyone will be enough for you to not plan anything else."

She noticed a strange combination of letters on the screen and she knew that Jack had to start laughing. She couldn't stop the grin which appeared on her face and she had to look crazy, grinning to herself like that.

"So, after going through your cupboards I think you'd be grateful when I go shopping and buy _anything_, because I couldn't even find a coffee here... Well, actually, I found an empty jar."

"Well, I really don't spend much time there... Mostly I only sleep there during the week and do all the shopping on Friday when I'm on my way home from work."

She gasped and jumped when she felt a hand on her arm; she looked up to see one of the teams leader standing in front of her. She had no doubts what he wanted as he brought the recording to her personally.

"Is everything okay?"

"Yes, I have to go back to work. I'll call you later or see you when I'm back. Bye."

She finished the conversation placed her phone on her desk and found few sheets of paper she had printed a while earlier. She handed it to the man and he looked through it briefly.

"I'm glad you've got it ready so soon, but I come here with a little different matter. I've talked to Hackford and he has agreed with me that it's going to be the best if you work with my team now. There are going to be several meetings today and we need you to tell us what they're saying immediately."

* * *

She welcomed the lunch break with a huge relief; she had a huge headache from all the focusing on watching and saying what was said and there was nothing she wanted more than a little break. Luckily, there was a two-hours break between meetings during which they all decided to grab something to eat and do whatever else they needed. She wasn't really surprised when she wasn't even asked if she would want to join them. There was no team in the building, where she felt she really fits; as she wasn't assigned to any of them permanently, she was just temporarily working with them when she was needed she never had the opportunity to become a real part of any of them. Mostly they were just bringing her records, which they needed to know what was being said on. It wasn't very rare that she was working like this day, however it never lasted longer than three days.

She walked down to the cafeteria, bought lunch and immediately made her way to the table where her friends were always sitting during lunch break.

"Sue Thomas, you are so dead!" said Yoshike, the moment she approached them "How could you not tell me?"

"What didn't she tell you?" asked Julie, while she and the rest looked at Yoshike.

"That I know who the new leader of Greg's team is." said Sue, taking the last free chair and noticed curious looks of the other three people, but the biggest from Greg.

"How do you know that? Stuart didn't tell even us, so there's no way anyone else would know beside Personnel, and Yoshike told us to wait for you."

"I have a very reliable source of information, which happens to be this person. But I think you'll have nothing to complain as I know that it's a very good agent and an excellent leader."

"Well, this person kind of happens to be the very same boyfriend of hers we met last night."

"You mean Jack? Good, because he seems to be a nice guy. I'd even say he has to be if our Sue thinks he's worth her."

She wasn't a very big part of a conversation that day; in fact, she was the most silent person in probably the whole cafeteria. She was quite happy when she could return to her peaceful office, take some painkillers and be only with Levi for a couple of whiles. The worst thing was that she was watching those meetings and they didn't seem to bring anything to the case. She could only hope that one of them finally will.

Jack had no problems with noticing that she was exhausted the moment she entered the flat. The expression on her face, her general look and the fact that the first thing she did was sit in the armchair, lean her head against it and close her eyes told him, that she had to have a difficult day.

"**Are you okay?**" he asked when he touched her arm and she opened her eyes.

"Yeah... Just worked with the team I don't really like to work with... They're very demanding and at the same time don't make anything easier... I lost count of how many times I told them that I can't read what people say after an hour but it had no effect... Besides, sometimes I feel like they treat me like a machine to read conversations... But, when they finish the case I'm going to find a huge bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates in apologies for being so difficult to work with."

"At least they see that they're not perfect. I guess you don't feel like going out so maybe we can order something and move our dinner to the other day?"

"I'd be grateful. The only thing I want right now is a long bath. You can find leaflets from places I like to order food from on the fridge. Choose something from it – I trust your choice, so I'm going to take this bath." she kissed him gently on the lips, a little longer than a casual peck and stood up.

She went out only about an hour later and wasn't really surprised that Jack decided to order pizza. She grinned when she noticed that half of it was exactly her favourite kind. As they were eating, Jack told her about news from D.C. and she realised that his decision to make could be even easier as there were a lot of changes in the team. He told her that Tara was thinking about transferring, as she and Stanley agreed that their relationship in this way didn't really have sense. And, as much as she could see this coming, she was surprised when he told her about the offer from the FBI office in Miami Myles got. She was only wondering if the office knew _who_ they proposed the job.

"At least he's going to be in a warm state. Always a place to go for holidays to."

"I think that I prefer longer journey to California, but the company of Bobby." admitted Jack with a small smile and Sue looked at him surprised.

"Bobby's going to California?"

"He's considering it. He and Darcy think about getting back together."

"Why do I have a feeling you don't think it's a good idea?"

"Probably because you know me. He was ready to go to California with Darcy when she was leaving, but she told him not to. She's made the decision, obviously she didn't care for him enough to take a bigger step in their relationship. He can't be sure she's not going to do exactly the same thing when she gets another great offer in yet another place."

"I think that if _they _want to give themselves a second chance, she's realised that she's made a mistake. I know that you only think about Bobby's happiness but if he wants to try again, he obviously thinks that she can be the person to bring this feeling into his life."

"You talk in exactly the same way he does. But I promised him I'm going to be supportive and give Darcy a second chance, too. Now, I'm going to _finally_ give you your present. I completely forgot about doing it yesterday."

"You have a present for me? I thought that your transfer here is supposed to be my birthday gift from you." she noticed Jack choke with the juice he was drinking.

"This stroke to my ego was very kind of you but no, it's not it. Wait a second."

He went to the bedroom and within a minute he was back with a small box which Sue quickly found out to be a jewellery box. Jack didn't let her say anything, just motioned to open it. When she did that she noticed a set of silver earrings; shape of the pair was a square with small, black, sparkling crystals creating dog's paw prints.

"They're beautiful! Thank you!" she immediately hugged and kissed him. "But they had to cost a fortune!"

"I'm glad you like them. Lucy made me a lecture of how I should find a set like this with a shape of heart but when I saw those paws I just knew that it's the right pair."

"Heart would be nice too, but I really like your choice." she kissed his cheek and ensconced herself in his arms to spend the rest of the evening there.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Here is another chapter. And, as much as my updates were regular, now they may stop being so, but I don't really have an influence. Sorry. Thanks for reading and I hope you're going to like it:

* * *

**Chapter 4**

A smile immediately appeared on Jack's face when on the next morning he came back to the flat, with Levi's leash in his hand after taking him for a walk. The smell of pancakes was noticeable on the whole floor and it made him really hungry – it felt wonderful to discover that he was the one, who will get to eat them. He slowly approached Sue, and as she was standing with her back turned to him, she had no idea that he was even there. She jumped slightly when he wrapped his arms around her waist from behind her but almost immediately relaxed.

"**It smells wonderfully. I'm going to be so spoiled by living with you...**" he said and signed, when she turned around and Sue smiled.

"I never said I'm going to cook for you every day. I thought that you need a good start of the first day in a new work."

His smile faded a bit, but the grin on Sue's face put it back on where it was. They ate breakfast, and then took a taxi to the office. When they reached the right floor, they parted; Sue went to her office while Jack made his way to the Personnel. He was a little surprised when he noticed Yoshike there because Sue didn't really tell him where her friends worked. He has quickly taken care of everything there and slowly went to the place, where his new place of work was located. After a short while, and asking one person, he was able to find the office of his new supervisor and knocked to the door.

"Come in, please." he heard a little lower, female voice and opened the door.

His eyes immediately fell on the woman sitting behind her desk. She was in her late forties, had short, dark hair and a little sharp look of brown eyes. She was very elegant, dressed in a dark suit. Only from everything what Sue told him about her, Camille Stuart definitely looked like the person with her reputation.

"Agent Hudson, I believe?" she asked after she motioned to close the door and sit on the chair in front of the desk. Jack immediately gave her a positive answer and felt a little uncomfortable for a while, when she was watching him carefully. "I've read your file. A successful agent, with a lot of solved cases, the past very useful during working in the FBI, a good and organized team leader with a great contact with people he works with... You've gotten a lot of positive testimonials. I can't hide that you seem to be perfect for the position, but there is one thing that I can't stop wondering about. Why did you ask for this transfer?"

A lot of thoughts started to come to Jack's mind and he wasn't really sure what to say. He didn't want to say anything which would look bad in the woman's eyes, because he didn't want her to think about him as an idiot even before he started working. Still, he didn't want to hide that Sue was the reason for this decision; not only it was absolutely impossible, because he believed that this information was going to spread around the office quickly, after they would be seen anywhere together, most certainly outside the building. He didn't want to hide their relationship, quite the contrary. At the same time he was aware that moving here for a woman he wasn't even engaged with – yet, hopefully – could be considered a little crazy.

"Well... My reasons were completely personal. The person I'm in a relationship has transferred here and I don't want a long-distance relationship with someone I believe I can have a future with." he finally admitted after a while of silence and noticed Stuart nod slightly after a moment.

"That explains why I didn't find a trace of any problem in your files." she said, the careful look in her eyes never disappearing only making Jack feel a little uncomfortable.

"There was no problem. People I was working with in D.C. were like a family for me. We all cared about each other very much, the fact that we were from different places of the country and didn't have a family there was only bringing us closer."

"Still, you decided to leave them. If you were so accustomed to each other, it may be difficult for them to work with your replacement and it can affect the effectiveness of their work..."

Jack opened his mouth and coughed as a thought that she was suggesting that he didn't consider what is good for the team in his decision. It seemed stupid for him, one of them could transfer somewhere any moment and Sue was the best example. All it took was a better job offer and nobody would have anything against the decision. He knew that even though he chose to move his for a job which was practically the same as there, the team had nothing against it. Quite the contrary, when he informed them that he considers it, they all told him to apply. It was a surprise for him that it was Myles who told him he's going to make him regret staying in D.C. if he doesn't apply; he was also the one who seemed the happiest when he was accepted for this trial period. Besides, they were all considering moving; actually, only Lucy and Dimitrius were sure to stay out of the old team. When Sue left, Myles got the offer from Miami and Jack applied for a transfer, they were told that the rest was going to be divided to other groups. The higher ups had no problems with it as financial cutbacks had to be made; they even gave them all the opportunity to find a new place for themselves.

When he told that to her, Camille Stuart listened to him carefully. Of course, he omitted the part about his friends telling him to apply for his relationship with Sue sake. She could see that the man who was sitting in front of her seemed to consider a lot of things in his decision and it was something that definitely worked for his advantage. She decided not to mention to him that he was on the list she created after all of his predecessors turned out not to meet her expectations. The higher ups asked her to do it and she chose ten agents she considered adequate for the position. She was really surprised when she got a phone call that a new application arrived and it turned out to be one of those people.

Still, even though she knew that his files were good, she wanted to see the way he was going to act. Of course, Jack Hudson couldn't have known that she knew Dimitrius Gans and called him to ask exactly the same question she asked him – why he decided to transfer. She knew about his relationship with Sue Thomas and that it was the reason, and was very pleased when Jack told her the truth instead of trying to impress her by telling her that he thought that her team or the office in New York was better. A few people have already tried it and they were almost lost in her eyes at the beginning – she couldn't understand how they could think that she wasn't going to ask her friends and acquaintances about them?

"Let's introduce you to the team, then. I don't believe you had an opportunity to meet them, did you?" she stood up and slowly went to the door.

"Actually I was told that I met one of them. Greg Donovan."

"Oh, yes, of course." Camille smiled when Jack looked at her, a little surprised, but none of them said anything.

He followed her to the bullpen, which was a little smaller than the one he worked in for past couple of years. He noticed five desks there, four of which were occupied. He immediately noticed the familiar figure behind one of them and a small smile on the man's face which made the rest look at him a little startled.

"I'd like to introduce Jack Hudson, who transferred to us from the office in D.C.. He's going to work with you and I hope your cooperation is going to be effective. I'm going to leave you, so you can get to know each other."

She left and Jack looked around the room, at the people gathered there. Besides Greg he noticed two men and one woman. Scott was Jack's height, had blonde hair, cold, gray eyes and a indifferent face expression. Marcello was his exact opposite – a little shorter, olive skin, black hair and very dark brown eyes and a huge smile gracing his lips. Vanessa, the only woman in the team, was the shortest of all of them and very womanly. She had long, wavy, light brown hair and green eyes. Jack had to admit that her makeup made her look very beautifully, and her clothes – appropriate for work - were also bringing out her good look.

He talked with them for a moment and thought that they seemed to be nice people. It was a little surprising for him how quiet the bullpen was but he assumed that it was because of his presence – he noticed that they were engaged in the conversation before he walked in. They weren't very open to him but knowing the history of the team, he completely understood it. They had no idea how long he was going to stay, and if they were anything like his old team, they were even making bets how long he's going to be here.

When Sue was sitting in her office, it was difficult for her to fight the desire to go to see Jack, and how he was. She was sure that his new team wasn't going to make it any easier for him, they stopped after the third new team leader. Still, she decided that it was better to stay where she was and wait for a lunch break; she didn't want to look like a jealous girlfriend who didn't want to let the guy out of her sight for even few whiles. Then, after doing a lot of paperwork, she got a new recording to decrypt and focusing on it stopped her from wondering how Jack liked the new place.

She jumped slightly when she felt Levi's paw on her leg, but also noticed that the lamp was lit. She said to come in and Jack went into the room. He looked around and then his eyes landed on her.

"For some reason I imagined the place you work in a little... differently..." he said when he walked around her desk and sat at the edge of it, facing her.

"I work here when I'm not helping any team or travelling to other offices. There are weeks when I'm not spending even half a day in total here."

"Oh, right. I forgot that your moving here was a huge promotion for you."

"Are you jealous?" she asked, a small playful smile on her face and Jack made a face which was supposed to show her that he's thinking hardly about an answer.

"Jealous... I wouldn't say jealous... I just don't really like the idea of you travelling around the country..."

"I work here for already few months and I travelled barely twice. It's really not this often."

"Hi Susie!" Jack almost jumped when the door suddenly opened and he heard the voice behind him. "I was walking by and thought that I ask if maybe today you've got time for this dinner I promised you so long ago!"

Jack glanced at Sue with raised eyebrows and she only looked with terror in her eyes. He noticed her repeating the sign "Help" in the way the guy, who was standing in the door couldn't notice.

"I'm afraid she has already made plans with me. Actually, a lot of plans for the following days too, right Honey?"

At the last words a sheepish expression appeared on the man's face and he only mumbled sorry before going out.

"Who was that?" he asked teasingly, faking jealously and Sue's cheeks immediately became bright red.

"Silly Willy." he burst into laughter when he heard that "That's what he's called. He's like Randy – annoying and all, but Randy was at least constantly complaining and never satisfied. Willy is always in a good mood, tries to flirt with every woman here. He seems to be very kind and all but after a short while it becomes even intrusive... I accidentally walked on him and since that time I can't find any way to fob him off. And believe me, you helped only temporarily. When he attached himself to Julie, he let her be only when she asked Louis for a favour and started kissing him in front of Willy."

"Well, when he starts bothering you again, you know where to find me."

"Of course. But now, tell me how do you like your first day?"

"It's nice, but I've already met so many people that if you asked me for a name of half of them I'm sure I'd mix something. But the team seems to be okay, Stuart reminds me of my obsessively strict teacher back in high school and I have to admit that Greg is very helpful. Now I thought that I'm going to come and see how it's going and ask you for this dinner we were plan..."

The sound of his mobile phone interrupted and when he took it out of his pocket he noticed Vanessa's name on it. He groaned when he finished the very short conversation.

"She just asked me to come back because we've gotten a new case."

"It's okay. And if this case won't ruin your plans, I'd love to go to this dinner today."

Luckily, even though he was home a bit later than he planned, he didn't come back too late to go out. When he opened the door with the spare key, he noticed Sue sitting on the couch and reading, while Levi was lying next to her with his head on her lap. Even though the dog's tail immediately started to wag when he noticed Jack, Sue had no idea that he was there. He smiled at the sight and slowly approached her, completely lost in her book. Only when he gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek she looked at him with a smile.

"It's nice you're back." she said with a loving look in her eyes, adorable smile and he immediately thought that it's something he wants to come back every day.

He only changed into more casual clothes and Sue took him to her favourite restaurant in New York. He quickly noticed why she liked it – the room was very light, the atmosphere was very cosy and tables were set in the way which allowed every guest to have a little privacy. And, as Sue assured him, the food was delicious and prices weren't high. They had a really great evening. It reminded them a lot of those, which they spend together when they were back in D.C.. A dinner, then a nice walk; the difference however was that this could be called real date and there was no goodbye in front of Sue's door. Everything was exactly the way it should be for already a long time.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N:** I finally found the time to write the chapter. I can only hope I'm not going to be eaten by those who'll read it. Well, here it is:

* * *

**Chapter 5**

Her back touched the wall behind her and she slowly slid down to sit on the floor. She pulled her legs to her chest, put her arms around them and laid her head on her knees. Her whole body was shaking as she was crying. Her whole world have just turned upside down; why now when everything seemed to be so absolutely perfect?

She thought about the weeks as about the best period in her life. She had a really great job, a man of her dreams was living with her and they were really happy – what could she want more? Maybe only certainty that he was _always_ going to be at her side, loving her and making her feel like the happiest of woman even with the smallest gestures. But, she believed that it was going to stay the way it was now; he looked to be pleased with his current life, happy with their relationship and satisfied with his new unit, to which it turned out he fit very well and was quickly accepted by his co-workers. Even Stuart looked to be satisfied with his work, and even though she didn't say anything, everyone suspected that Jack was indeed going to be the lucky number seven, as he told Sue he wished to.

But of course, life could never be endlessly blissful; the fate had to take care of people's lives not to be too perfect. She sobbed, thinking that it was maybe better that it decided to disturb their bliss in this way; it wasn't a wonderful situation, one she has never thought she was going to find herself in, but it was still better than suddenly getting to know that Jack was hurt, or maybe even worse. She took this test just because of a stupid idea that came to her mind, as it didn't want to stop tormenting her. She was so shocked when she saw it was positive, that she took three more; all of them indicated the same thing – she was pregnant.

Still, she hoped it was just coincidence. After all, those home-made test could turn out wrong, she could be absolutely certain only by visiting an ob-gyn. She thought that it was just impossible, but still set an appointment – just to be sure. Now, a week later and few days before the appointment, she was sure that the doctor is only going to confirm what these tests had shown. Symptoms she started experiencing were speaking for themselves.

She had no idea how will she manage to tell everyone about it. She knew that most of her family and friends will be very supportive, but there were two people whose reaction she was terrified about. The first person was Jack, who she had completely no idea how he was going to react. She knew that he thought about having children _one day_, but she was sure that now and here wasn't a part of his plan. She had no idea if he'd actually want to have them with her, even though they were now together and he even once told her that he wished it was going to stay this way forever. Even if it could be considered any kind of talking about future plans, there was no word about children. Was he going to be happy or angry because of this turn of events? Was he going to actually want it?

The second person was her mother; the only positive side was that Carla Thomas didn't have to know about it immediately, while it was impossible for Sue to hide it from Jack. There was no doubts that she was going to be furious – Sue could already hear her shouting, that she can't believe that her daughter could so such a thing. She always told her, and her brothers too, that they should only think about children after getting married to the right person. Sue wasn't married, and she wasn't even engaged, she only considered Jack to be this right person for her.

She had no idea how long she was sitting like that, but she knew that she shouldn't stay there much longer. Jack called her that he was staying longer in the office, but he was going to come home sooner or later. She didn't want him to find her this way because he would immediately know that something was going on. He has already become suspicious because of her morning sickness, which didn't even catch her only in mornings. She was so lost in thoughts that she didn't even notice that he has already returned and was now standing in the door, after looking for her.

He immediately went to her, when he noticed her sitting on the floor, visibly glum. She jumped when she felt his arm around her shoulders, but allowed him to pull her toward himself and melted into his embrace. He held her, very concerned about the state he has found her in, and it wasn't long before he noticed that she has fallen asleep. It wasn't easy, but he managed to stand up with her in his arms. He took her to the bedroom and placed her on the bed, glad that she was dressed in clothes she slept in. He covered her with the duvet and leaned down to kiss her forehead. He has been worrying about her for already few days, since she started to feel badly, and his concern was only raised more now. He didn't press her until now, accepting the 'nothing is wrong', but he decided to change it in the morning. Right now he wanted her to get some sleep, hoping it's going to make her feel better.

He was exhausted; the case his team was now working on was a very difficult one and they had a very small amount of leads. All of them seemed to be a dead-end and only today they finally found the information they may have been looking for. It was the reason why he stayed in the office so late and he felt frustrated, because it didn't give them anything, either. He went to the bathroom with an intention of taking a quick shower before going to sleep. It was completely by accident that he suddenly became aware what was happening with Sue.

He didn't know why it was happening, but whenever everyone else in the house was asleep, he was slipping into the clumsy mode. It was something everyone who has ever lived with him complained about, as he was able to make a horrible noise in the middle of the night by dropping everything to the floor or falling into the furniture on his way. Sue was the only person who didn't say anything, for obvious reasons, and now, living with her, he didn't have to mind so much to be very careful. So it wasn't a surprise for him when he accidentally hit Sue's sponge bag and it fell to the floor. It was the contents what surprised him, more specifically a small, white stick which got his attention because of its white colour, while all the other things there were black or at least dark.

He took it in his hand and his mouth opened a little. He had no problems with recognizing the pregnancy test; it wasn't the first time he has seen it. Even though he wasn't very proud of it, he remembered very well how Allie took one in his company a few years back. He could still hear her voice as she was panicking and repeating that her life was going to be ruined if it turned out positive. Luckily, it didn't but the one he was now holding definitely was positive. He sat at the edge of the bathtub, staring at it. Everything he watched for past few days suddenly became logical, her fatigue, nausea, vomiting, sensitivity to smells, testes... He started to wonder, how long did Sue actually know about it? Why didn't she tell him? How she felt about it?

He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. It was something he definitely didn't expect, but the more he thought about it, the more convinced he was that he should have considered such possibility. His guess was that she didn't tell him anything because she was afraid of his reaction. It seemed the most probable. He just had to let her know that he knew and wasn't going to suddenly disappear, leaving her all alone with it because it was something they didn't agree on. He loved Sue, knew that he wanted to spend his whole life with her as his wife and mother of his children. It wasn't exactly the way he imagined things to go, but it was obviously the way they were meant to be and the only thing they could do was to accept it. He had to talk to her, but it had to wait until the morning.

However, he didn't have the opportunity to talk to her in the morning. The sound of his phone ringing woke him up and he could only tell Levi not to jump on them to prevent Sue waking Sue. He looked at the clock and groaned; it wasn't even five o'clock. He extended his arm and took the phone from the bedside table.

"Hudson." he answered it, half-asleep and fell back onto the bed, lying on his back. "No, I'm not sleeping. I was waiting for you to call, so I can hear your lovely voice at such an early hour in the morning, Van. What do you mean? A body? Yeah, yeah, I'll come. See you."

"Jack..?" he heard Sue's sleepy voice and she only raised her head to look at him with a questioning look.

"**Work.**" he signed and Sue only moaned before placing her head back on her pillow, hugging it tightly.

He quickly got ready and left the flat, going to the park where Vanessa informed him everyone was going to gather. He shivered a little as the morning was quite cool, and the fact that he was sleepy didn't work for his advantage. He rubbed his hands together, cowering a little as he approached Vanessa and Marcello.

"What do we have?"

"The cleaner found the body, called the police and they called us. We don't know anything about the victim. There was only a sheet of paper, attached to his wrist by a feminine scarf. 'The whole FBI isn't going to stop me from finding you.'."

"Sounds a little creepy. Where is the body?"

He followed Marcello, and quickly noticed a group of people gathered around one of the benches. The man was sitting on it, so straight that it looked completely unnaturally. He came closer and only then was able to see the man's face. It suddenly dawned on him; he remembered sitting in the car and waiting for Sue, while she was talking with the very same guy in the nearby cafe. He was her informant, as she told him. It meant that she was also the connection between him and the FBI, most likely the only one. He looked at Dennis again and Jack's eyes fell on the soft material wrapped around his wrist.

"That's impossible..." he murmured, when all of his thoughts combined creating a logical completeness.

He didn't even want to think about that and if he didn't over interpret it, it seemed that he was back and the addressee of the left message was Sue.


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N:** Well, I'm finally updating. I was re-writing this chapter two times, three times changing my mind about its content. This + problems with muse + lack of free time made it horribly difficult to write it. But, it's here. I don't really like how it turned out, but I never like my chapters :)

Thank you for reviews, and thanks for following the story. I like hearing what you think about the story.

* * *

**Chapter 6**

He felt like he was going to explode. He knew so perfectly well that he shouldn't act on his feelings; that he shouldn't just drop everything, without caring about anything, and go to Sue to make sure that she was safe. He couldn't be sure that his thinking was right, it was only his suspicion but at the same time it fitted perfectly. But, at the same time it seemed impossible – he should be sitting in prison without the possibility to be conditionally released.

There was only one thing that could make him know for sure and the moment the five of them arrived in the bullpen, he asked Scott to check files. He was sitting on his chair, listening to the sound of him pressing the buttons on the keyboard; it was only a short while before he had answer, but for him it was horribly long. He needed to know, as fast as possible, before Sue wakes up and takes Levi for a walk. If his suspicions will be proved correct, or at least justified, he'll need enough time to get to their flat and stop her from going out on her own.

"I don't have good news, Jack." said the blonde man, and Jack was standing next to him within few seconds "He escaped prison about a week ago with a few other sentenced people. I remember it was actually a loud news in every news reports. However, they didn't reveal identities to avoid panic among people."

"Great!" he could feel anger raising in him, and the rest exchanged glances.

"You think he is after her because she testified against him?" asked Scott, and Jack sent him a deadly glare.

"If I hadn't had to return to her flat, she would have been his next victim. A scarf was his sign of recognition, and the guy from the park, Dennis Something, was Sue's informant from D.C. We were hiding her from him during the investigation. I really believe that his escape, the body, the scarf and the message aren't just a coincidence. And I'm going to make sure that he won't get her this time, either."

Sue was woken up in the morning by the feeling of a wet sloppy tongue on her face. She groaned pushing Levi away from her face and slowly sitting on the bed. The last thing she wanted was to get up; it was so nice and warm under the duvet, and the sleep was so nice… She sighed, getting out of the bed and made her way to the bathroom. Only when she washed her face with a cool water, the sleepy look went away from her face a little. She dressed and went to the kitchen. The first thing she noticed was a note from Jack "BREAKFAST!" and smiled; since she has started having nausea and vomiting, her stomach wasn't really keen to be filled in the morning but Jack always made sure that she ate something.

She was eating a small sandwich, and she jumped when she felt Levi's paw on her leg after she finished her breakfast. She looked down at the dog to see him place his bowl in front of her. She reached to the cupboard, where she stored his food and picked the bowl up, to place it back to the place where it should be. She opened the can and immediately placed it on the nearest table; the moment the smell of dog's food came to her nose, she felt a wave of nausea and ran to the bathroom.

She had no idea that exactly in the same moment, Jack went into the apartment. He saw her run and glanced at Levi, who was waiting patiently – surprisingly for him. He followed Sue, kneeled on the floor next to her, one of his hands taking and holding her hair away from her face, while the second one caressed her back. He could feel her jump at his touch at first, but she quickly realised it was just him. Finally she moved back from the toilet, feeling that the wave of vomiting has passed and smiled at him, a small, imposed smile and moved to the sink, to wash her face. Jack stood up, too, and went out of the bathroom without a word to prepare a glass of water for her, which he handed her the moment she stood next to him.

"**Thank you.**" she signed, and Jack moved to feed Levi, who was sitting next to his bowl forgotten.

After a while he sat on the couch, next to Sue, and put her arm around her, pulling her to him. There was no resistance on her side and she placed her head on his shoulder, as his arms came around her, holding her.

"Before you say anything, I'm fine." she said after a while of silence, moving a little in his arms to be able to watch his face.

He didn't say anything for a moment, wondering what he should say. Should he actually admit that he knew about everything or maybe act like he has never found the test? He sighed, as he knew that there was no option that she won't realise that he's lying. It was just another thing she somehow mastered since they've started living together – always knowing when he was hiding something or lying. He kissed her forehead softly, when he saw her look changing into a questioning one because she didn't got any response.

"Yes, I know." he said and noticed that the question from her eyes didn't disappear; quite the contrary, it seemed to only get bigger. Now or never, he decided. "It's just morning sickness, nothing very unusual and it's going to pass."

"What..? How..?" her eyes widened, and he moved his hand to cup her face and stroke her cheek with his thumb.

"By accident." the expression on her face told him that she actually expected him to elaborate a little more, but he didn't feel the need to; not now anyway.

"I wanted to tell you... There just never seemed to be the right time, and when there actually was I didn't feel brave enough to bring the topic... I promised myself I'm going to tell you today..."

"It's okay, Sue." he smiled reassuringly, seeing her troubled expression and noticed something else appear in her eyes.

"You're not angry at me..?" she asked, and he looked at her with disbelief.

"Angry? That you didn't tell me? Come on, you couldn't have known that my nightly clumsiness was going to thwart your plans."

"That's not really what I meant..." she looked down and he opened his mouth when it clicked and he realised, what she had actually mean.

"God, Sue, of course I'm not angry!" he said, when he lifted her face so she would look at him "I'm kind of surprised, yes, but angry at you? I'm as much responsible for this baby's existence as you are! It may complicate a few things, but I'm sure we'll manage. We're going to love him or her and try to be the best parents, and well, I'm sure it's going to be perfect anyway."

"I love you." she said, looking at him with tears in her eyes just before she wrapped her arms around him and hid her face in his chest.

He smiled, his arms embracing her once again and placed a loving kiss on top of her head.

"I love you, too." he whispered into her hair, feeling that somehow she knew that he did that.

He couldn't stop himself and moved one of his hands slowly to place it on her completely flat abdomen. Her hand soon joined his and he smiled, holding her tightly. He knew he was going to have to talk to her about Simon, but he didn't want to talk about that in this moment. He wanted to just enjoy the while, probably the last almost free of worry, before bringing the topic. He was aware that he wasn't going to be able to avoid it for long, but it could wait for a little longer. He knew that she was going to be scared, even if it was very possible that she wasn't going to admit that – he was. He pressed her only a little tighter against him as he thought about the possible danger; it will probably infuriate her quite quickly, but he planned to be with her all the time, to be sure that she was safe. There was no way he was going to let anyone harm her, even if it would be going to cost him a lot.

They both felt like spending the whole day cuddled on the couch, but at the same time they were both aware that it wasn't possible. They were painfully reminded about it when Jack's phone suddenly rang, Greg calling him to inform that their supervisor wanted him to bring Sue to their bullpen, and she also wanted to see him. Only the questioning look in Sue's eyes when he told her about that reminded him that he hasn't told her about Simon. He explained everything to her, trying not to omit anything.

"I'm not leaving you by yourself until I know that he is back in prison." he said at the end, and Sue nodded hesitantly.

She knew that Jack only wanted to keep her safe, but it was something that they had a little different idea about. She was sure that he meant it almost completely literally and was really going to be with her as much time as it was possible, acting like she was a baby and couldn't be left alone even for a short second. It was the way he was when he was worried and it was something that made her shudder at the thought of following days. She didn't want to argue with him about something like that but she wasn't sure how much she was going to be able to take. Still, the same thought made her feel a little better; she could remember what had happened the last time she was actually alone, and what could have happened if Jack hadn't come back. His presence could allow her to feel safer.

It was a little later when Jack entered the bullpen this morning, this time however in Sue's company. He was immediately reminded that Stuart wanted to see him, so he left Sue in the company of his team and went to his supervisor's office. He knocked and heard to come in immediately; he saw Camille sitting behind her desk with a face expression, which yet again reminded him of a very strict teacher or headmistress, as it was the person who was summoning students to her office to give them lectures.

"Sit, please." she motioned to the chair and waited with speaking again until Jack took it "Did the team tell you why I asked you to come here?"

"No, but I believe you want to dismiss me from the case." he could see a surprise appear for a moment on her face, but it was replaced by a small smile.

"Well, I wanted to do that indeed, as you are much too close to Miss. Thomas to work on this case, however I talked to higher-ups and they believe you will be very useful as you have worked on the case of Simon Groves in D.C. It's not the reason to convince me, as I have already asked for someone from your old team to be sent here before talking to them, but you will stay on the investigation, at least for now."

"Thank you, Ma'am."

"I don't know if you should thank me, as I want you to stay away from going to field and making decisions. I'm afraid that yours wouldn't always be deliberate. Marcello will take your place. I want you to use this closeness to Miss. Thomas to be her guardian first of all."

"It's only the more reason to thank you." he said and noticed a small smile appear on woman's face as she nodded her head.

She didn't say anything before the sound of knocking came to their ears and she smiled a little bit wider.

"I believe that the member of your old team has arrived." she said and Jack looked at the door, wondering who it was going to be.

He knew that Tara has already transferred, Myles has gone to Miami too, Bobby should be going to California anytime now, and he didn't suppose that they'd sent Lucy because she wasn't an agent even though she knew everything. He also couldn't see D. coming himself as Jack suspected he had a lot of work. His curiosity was quickly sated, when the door opened and he noticed the tall figure of his best friend. The grin subconsciously appeared on his face and Jack noticed the smaller smile appear on Bobby's face and the wink he sent him.

"Special Agent Bobby Manning. I've been sent here from the office in D.C." he introduced himself to Camille, who nodded her head.

The two man soon left the room and only when they closed the door behind them Jack couldn't hold his questions any longer.

"Why did they send you? Shouldn't you be on your way to Los Angeles?"

"I am on my way to LA, Sparks, with a stopover in The Big Apple. Well, a bit longer stopover I suppose, but the office in Los Angeles has been informed and they didn't see a problem with it. Neither do I, as I'm the first person who gets to see how you and Sue live here."

"What about Darcy? She isn't mad at you that it's going to take you even longer to finally come to her?"

"She understands that I didn't want to take the first vacancy in LA which happened to arise and be right for me. Thanks to the patience I now get to have the place of the team leader, but it's not like it'd be something new for you. And I talked to her before I agreed to come here, and she was the one to assure me that I'm right that I should come here and help."

They walked into the bullpen, where the five people immediately turned their faces to see them. Sue's face immediately lit up with a smile, when she noticed Jack's companion. She hugged the Australian, who then looked around the room. After all the introducing was done, and additional chairs were brought, they all sat behind desks to talk about everything connected to the case.

"But what was Dennis doing in New York? He told me that the only family besides his wife and children is in Chicago, but he doesn't even keep contact with them. Still, I can't see why he would have any reason to come here..." said Sue, when they analyzed everything they had on the new investigation.

"Maybe his wife will be able to answer this question. I believe she'll want to come here when she is informed about her husband's death... At least I would on her place.." said Vanessa and the rest agreed with that.

"Well, we'll have more precise information after autopsy, but we know that the time of death is between the evening and midnight. And, because the hour isn't so early now, we should go and ask people living around if they haven't seen anything unusual there, then."

Vanessa, Marcello, Greg and Bobby went out, leaving Sue, Jack and Scott in the bullpen. The only sound in the room was the last one's typing, and only after a moment Jack glanced at Sue and got her attention.

"**Don't worry Sue, we will find him and keep you safe.**"

"**I know. But I think about Dennis. He had a wife, two small children, he was doing everything to make his life better than it was. He loved them very much and wanted to be a better person for them.**"

"**I know how you feel Sue, but you couldn't have done everything to prevent it. The only thing we can do now is to bring them justice. It's not going to bring him back, but one day it will be a soothing thought that the responsible person was punished and won't hurt anyone else. Not soon, but still. I know it's easier said than done, but you shouldn't even think that you may be responsible for it.**"

"**But everything indicates that I am the reason why Dennis is dead now. If he hadn't been my informant, he may have not been killed.**"

"**And if he hadn't been your informant, he wouldn't have helped us save a lot of other people. He probably wouldn't have even changed his own life for the better. Don't blame yourself Sue, I didn't know him but I'm sure he wouldn't have wanted you to do so.**"

She sighed and Jack caught her hand and squeezed it. Sue rested her head on his shoulder in an answer, letting him know that she believes him. He placed his arm around her shoulders, hugging her to him and kissed her forehead. Scott watched the two of them, when he looked away from his computer. He didn't understand what they were saying as he didn't know the sign language, and he thought that it had to be something what they didn't want him to hear. Or it was just Jack's feeling for Sue, what made him use ASL instead of talking all the time and making her read his lips. He couldn't know but he could see that the bond between them was very strong; it had to be if Jack decided to leave everything he had in D.C. behind to come to live and work in New York, so he could be with her. Scott smiled and looked back to his computer when the result of his searching appeared on the screen, allowing them to have a little more privacy.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** I am finally back with a new chapter. The last weeks are crazy, but everything is just going to end next Friday. Holidays and impatient waiting for exams results will begin. As for now it seems that my muse decided that it deserves holidays as well, but I hope it's going to be back soon. Well, the only thing i can say more is that I hope you'll like this chapter.

* * *

**Chapter 7**

He was lying on the couch, unable to fall asleep; it felt really strange to be in New York in this moment. It wasn't the first time he was visiting the city, he's been there few times – most of them with the very same man, who was in the second room and once with Sue as well, so soon after they had met her. If anyone had told him back then that the next time he'll be there, Jack and Sue were going to live there and hopefully have a future together, he would have never believed. However, it was as true as it just could be and it was exactly the reason why he felt strange, why he was seeing the city in a different light; it was going to be a home for two of his friends, one of who was like a brother for him.

At the same time, nobody would have believed that during just few months so much is going to change for almost all of them. He didn't even know Darcy then and wasn't thinking about being eager to settle down; Tara didn't know Stanley and was trying to find a perfect guy for herself in the Internet. Jack was very similar to him and even though he knew Sue, Bobby didn't think that being with her one day even crossed Jack's mind. Especially, that he swore he's never going to settle down, as he loved his bachelor's life way too much. Manning smiled; obviously, the only thing Jack needed to change his mind was the right person, who he would love much more than this free kind of life.

When they arrived in the flat, he was really surprised by the place. He could remember Jack telling him that he liked space; it wasn't anything unusual when someone considered that he grew up in a house with a very huge amount of free space around, the closest neighbour being half a mile away. He was surprised that Jack didn't feel trapped there, but didn't have the opportunity to ask him. They came there in the late evening and Jack and Sue both decided to go to sleep. He watched them all the time he was in their company and could see that there was something more than they were telling. Of course, the knowledge that Simon was somewhere out there was making them anxious, as well as really tired from all the constant wariness. Still, it wasn't the way he remembered them acting when there was someone threatening their safety. Of course, it was completely normal and understandable that Jack was very worried and protective of Sue, but he was practically not letting her out of his sight. However, the thing that was getting his attention the most was that Sue didn't seem to mind; he didn't hear her say anything to Jack about it even once, while he kind of expected her to fight for more freedom.

He was just beginning to fall asleep at a very late hour, when he heard the toilet being flushed and then the sound of steps. He didn't even know why he did that, but he pretended to be sleeping. He noticed Sue walk out of the bedroom slowly, carefully not to wake anyone. In the light of the moon, which was getting to the room by the window, her pale face looked white and he could see that she wasn't feeling well. She went to the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water, when he heard movement in her and Jack's room and his friend soon walked out, too.

They were standing in the light, and Bobby had a really good view. Jack walked to Sue and Manning noticed him place his hand on her shoulder; it was obvious that Sue didn't expect it when she jumped slightly and a surprised sound got out of her mouth. She turned around immediately, but immediately calmed down when she noticed Jack.

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you up." she whispered, and Hudson shook his head.

"Don't apologize." he said, his voice quieter, too "After I finally fell asleep, I wasn't sleeping deeply. You should go back to bed, get as many rest as possible."

"I know, that's what I was planning to do. I just woke up and some strange feeling made me go to the window... Before I had to go to the bathroom I saw someone on the street... It looked like he was watching our window... It could be just coincidence, but it doesn't change the fact that I'm getting really scared... Especially after that e-mail..."

"What e-mail?" he interrupted immediately and Sue looked at him surprised.

"Shortly before we left the office I got an e-mail... It was from Simon... He wrote that he's going to find us... He doesn't want only me, he wants you, too... He wants to finish what he started, but he also wants to make you regret you ruined his plan that day..."

"That's not something I can regret! You have no idea how many times after that day I dreamt that I came just a moment later... That I was too late..." the look on his face made her heart clench in her chest; she cupped his cheek and tenderly caressed it with her thumb. "Why haven't you told me about this e-mail?"

"I was sure someone has already done it... I guess that's what everyone assumed – that I had told you, and it turns out you didn't know about anything at all... I'm sorry."

"It's okay, just don't do that again. Tell me about anything, even if you were sure that someone has done it." he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to himself. She had her arms around his chest immediately, and she rested her head on his shoulder, closing her eyes.

Bobby couldn't help but smile slightly. It was a very intimate moment, and he felt like he was intruding their privacy, but at the same it was very heart-warming to witness it. The closeness, the affection were so perceptible, he felt like it was just eradiating from them. He has never seen them so close before, at least not without holding back their emotions. Now they didn't have to hide their love, the strong bond they shared, must stronger than was acceptable for co-workers.

"I was wondering if I shouldn't postpone the doctor's appointment... I don't know if tomorrow – well, today – is a good day to go there... Maybe it would be better to wait until this whole thing with Simon is over..."

"No Sue, you shouldn't do it. You are right, it's not the best day for it but you have to go there... You have to check if the little one is okay, we wouldn't want anything to happen to it just because you didn't see the doctor early enough."

"You're right... I'd never forgive myself if anything happened to it because of me... I'm just scared... I don't get it why everything has to be happening right now... It's like the vision of the baby isn't scary enough... I haven't even told my parents, yet, even though I should do that as early as possible for my mother to have time to get used to it... The last thing I need right now is the fight with her... How much I wish we could just be rapturously happy, thinking of how wonderful it's going to be... Without the whole worrying about Simon, about my family, about who knows what else..."

"Yeah, me too... But we have to be happy with what we have... Let's go back to sleep Sue... We'll need it during the day..."

"I'm not sure I'll be able to fall asleep again... I'm really worried that the person I saw was him, that he has found the place where we live..."

"We're going to check it, it's going to be the first thing in the morning we'll do. Right now let's just try to take a little more rest; I'm here and I won't let anything happen to you, neither will Bobby. And Levi, too." he added when he felt a paw on the back of his leg, and Sue only hugged him again before they finally went back to their bedroom.

Bobby opened his eyes again, pretending to sleep all the time. He looked back, in the direction of the room they have disappeared in, his mouth slightly open in surprise. It was something he definitely didn't see coming; he felt speechless, he would have never suspected it, but now he could see why Sue was feeling the way she was. And it seemed that nobody knew just yet, so he just had to pretend that he didn't either.

Indeed, the first thing they did when they arrived in the office in the morning was to inform everyone about the person who was seen by Sue. Vanessa and Marcello immediately went to try to look for some monitoring tapes, while Scott worked on the computer, hoping that maybe he'll be able to find anything this way. They got the recording, but it didn't really change anything. There was indeed someone in the street, and it seemed he was watching their windows, but there was only his back visible and with a poor quality, they couldn't be sure if it was Simon.

In the afternoon they left earlier than usual, without any problems on Stuart's side. As long as there was someone constantly keeping an eye on them, she thought that they could as well be anywhere else. They couldn't really be a part of the case, at least not fully, and there was no way they would focus on another one knowing that they're in danger. They weren't grateful for her condition, that someone has to go with them, but Bobby immediately volunteered. Later, when they were sitting in the waiting room together, Manning admitted that he heard their conversation from the night and it was when Jack felt grateful for his friend. He now understood why he was so willing to go with them and really appreciated it.

"Mr. Hudson? You can come in now." the nurse suddenly appeared and Bobby only nodded, making a small move with his head showing his friend the door to the doctor's office.

When Jack went in, he saw Sue already lying on the exam table. She smiled at him and took his hand in hers when he sat on the small stool. It wasn't long before they were able to see their baby on the ultrasound. They were both completely mesmerized; even though the shape on the screen was only becoming to look like a little human, it suddenly felt so real for them now, that they could see that it was really growing there. When he looked at Sue, he noticed tears filling her eyes and squeezed her hand. He could feel his own tears pushing their way to his eyes too, and didn't really fight them.

"What's going on, Sue? You saw what the doctor said; it looks completely fine." He asked, when the doctor left and Sue looked at him with a hint of something that he was sure was fear. He was called to another patient, and was going to be back in a moment but they had a few minutes only for themselves.

"The test is one thing but having it confirmed, seeing the baby... It's like I realizing it's there all over again, but with a much stronger power... And I feel scared.. What if it's fine now? What if something turns out to be wrong later? What if I unconsciously do something, what will affect its well-being?"

"Heey, don't even think like that! I _know_ that you're _not_ going to do anything like that, because I know you well enough to be sure that you'll be even overly cautious."

"But what if it turns out to be deaf? Or..."

"Sue, stop it." He interrupted in a much more insistent way "It doesn't matter if it turns out to be deaf or blind or whatever else. It's going to be perfect anyway, just because it's going to be ours and we're going to love it more than anything."

Sue nodded, and he raised his second hand to her face, wiping away the tears, which were slowly moving down her cheeks. He leaned his face closer and kissed her forehead; she smiled slightly, wrapping her arms around his chest and placing her head on it, not letting him move away. He hugged her until he felt her withdraw slightly.

"Would you rather a girl or a boy?"

"Sue, it really doesn't matter what it's going to be..."

"No, it doesn't matter, but I'm just curious..."

"Hmm... When I've been thinking about it I imagined it to be a little girl, looking like you..." Sue chuckled, and he looked at her surprised. "What?"

"In my imagination it's always a little boy, a spitting imagine of you..."

"Well... As I keep saying, it's going to be perfect. And let's cling to that."

They smiled, for a moment forgetting about the possible danger. None of them was aware that it was going to remind them of itself very soon.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Jack walked through the corridor, humming happily. He stood in front of the door to the flat, looking for his keys, with a smile plastered to his face. He was able to sneak out, and now there was a small box with a ring inside his pocket. Now, he only had to find a good way to ask Sue. He wanted to make it nice, romantic.. absolutely perfect; he wanted to show her just how much she meant to him, and that he isn't proposing just out of the conviction that he should. There was no way to hide that the baby played a big role in his decision not to wait with it; he'd happily drag her to the registry office and married her back in DC, but he didn't want to rush anything. He knew that now, that they were officially in the relationship, nothing was going to stop him from being with her forever. There were no doubts that what everyone has been telling them was true; they were really meant for each other. He only hoped Sue could see how much he loved her, and how important she was for him, and wouldn't judge his proposal as the one out of responsibility, and wasn't going to say no.

The smile faded from his face when he put the key into the lock and noticed that the door was open. He felt his heart beat quicker and his hands shake when he pressed the handle and went inside. He noticed a mess in the living room and felt like all the air has been suck out of him; there was a small sheet of paper lying on the table.

"_What a poor 'Knight in the Shining Armor" you are... Where have you been, when she needed you? Well, it doesn't really matter now that you're not going to see her again, anyway. I didn't think that it would be such an easy task, but I owe you a thank you for your help."_

"God, no… Bobby?!" he ran around the flat, and only in the bedroom found his friend on the floor.

The man was starting to come around, when Jack kneeled next to him and groaned when he lifted his head from the floor. Only after a moment everything what has happened returned to him and his eyes widened. He didn't have to ask to know what happened. He remembered Sue's scream, and then Levi's scraping at the door when he was taking a shower. He almost broke his leg when he was leaving the shower in a hurry, caught a towel, and wrapping it around his middle ran out of the bathroom. His knees buckled under him when he noticed Sue, lying on the floor. He wanted to run to her, but the next thing he remembered was a huge pain in the back of his head, and Hudson's terrified face above his. He must have been knocked unconscious.

"Jack, I-…"

"I told you to look after her." Jack hissed, his teeth clenched tightly.

"I only went to take a shower…"

"You could have waited until I come back."

"I've checked _everything._ I've checked every room, every window, and even the door twice! There was no way he could get inside!"

"But he obviously found this way! And now Sue is God only knows where!"

Bobby looked at Jack, who kicked the table, completely ignoring everything that was lying on it and fell to the floor when it was turned over. He jumped at the sound of the door being slammed and sighed; now not only Sue's life was in danger, but his best friend was mad at him.

* * *

Sue closed the door to the bedroom behind her, sat on the bed and groaned. She felt annoyed; the constant attention she was getting, especially from Jack, was slowly becoming unbearable for her. At first she didn't mind it; it was much easier to ignore it when she felt horribly and didn't have strength for anything. But she started to follow the tips she got during her visit to the ob-gyn, and she was feeling much better. And now, Jack's behavior started to infuriate her.

She knew that he meant well, that everything he was doing was the result of his concern about her, but she felt like she was trapped. She couldn't go anywhere completely by herself; she was even surprised that Jack wasn't asking anyone to follow her _into _the toilet. They were only escorting her there, and waiting in front of the door. After two days she felt a really huge need to spend some time by herself; even when Jack was leaving her, he asked Bobby to take care of her. And when they were at home, and she was in another room, Jack was checking on her at least once in an hour.

There was no doubts that the delusory peace wasn't going to last forever. It was obvious that Simon will announce his presence near them sooner or later, or even try to fulfill his plans. They have found two more bodies, one with the message that they won't stop him from taking his revenge, the other one with the note that they couldn't hide and he has already known where to look for them. It was something what made Jack unbearable, and she was really happy to be able to hide in the privacy of the bedroom, while Jack was out and Bobby was taking a shower.

She took the ultrasound picture out of her wallet and look at it. Watching it in those moments, when she couldn't stand this attention and concern any longer, made her think of all the reasons why she _had to _bear with it. It reminded her that she wasn't responsible only for herself, that this little being's life depended completely on her, too. If she didn't want anything to happen to it, she had to stay safe, unharmed and as calm as possible, but the last thing really wasn't that easy.

She jumped at the feeling of the hand being placed on her shoulder and turned around. She gasped and her eyes widened in shock and fear, when she noticed Simon's face in front of her. She had no idea how that happened, but he was standing right there. There was no way he could get in without anyone being alerted; the door was locked, and the security chain was in its place as well. Even if he forced the door open, Bobby would have to hear it.

Screamed, and he immediately caught her, covering her mouth with some kind of material. She looked through the open door to the bedroom and noticed Levi, trying to get Bobby. It was the last thing she saw before everything turned black.

When she woke up later, she had no idea where she was. It was a dark and damp room, which looked like a basement. It was also horribly cold and she shuddered, pulling her knees to her chest. Her hands felt like they were frozen, her fingers stiff and like belonging to someone else. But, besides being cold, it seemed she was fine, which was actually surprising. The last thing she expected Simon to do was to kidnap her; it wasn't his style, he just attacked his victims and choked them. Why didn't he do that with her?

She was wondering if Bobby heard her scream and knew that something was wrong. If he didn't, he could assume that she just ran away from the attention. She shook her head, knowing that he wasn't going to think that; if she thought of something like this, she would have taken Levi with her, and he knew that. But it still didn't make her feel better; she had no idea where Simon was now or even why he actually brought her here. She also had no idea how long it was going to take before the FBI will find her; because she had no doubts that they were going to look for her. She could only hope they'll find her alive.

* * *

Jack was walking around the bullpen; he was way too worried to be able to even think of sitting behind his desk. He couldn't believe that Simon was able to kidnap Sue; he would have never suspected that something may happen to her as Bobby had an eye on her. He had no doubts that everyone was watching him, and he was glad they were silent. He was sure he'd explode if anyone told him that everything was going to be okay.

"Hudson." he almost jumped at the sound of his name and glanced at his supervisor, standing close to him with a stern look "What do you think you're going here?"

"I-.." he started, but was immediately silenced by her raising her hand up.

"No, you're not going to help us, I withdraw you from this investigation. You and Thomas are too close, I can't allow you to be a part of this case."

"But.."

"No buts. You are going home and staying there, waiting for any information coming from us. I don't want to hear that you have called anyone to ask if they know anything."

"With all due respect, but my home is right now being searched through by specialists. They look for anything that may give us any idea where to look for Sue, and the last thing I want is to disturb them."

"Then go to the hotel, anywhere! I don't want to see you here until this investigation is over whether you like it or not!"

He knew that there was no way she'd allow him to stay. He only nodded and stormed out; as much as he hated to do it, he had no choice. He was walking around the city for a while, not knowing what to do with himself. He didn't want to go to the hotel, and wasn't coming back home for a while now. The only thing he actually wanted was to wrap his arms tightly around Sue, press her against him and hold her. Still, he couldn't, and he didn't even know if she was still alive. He had no idea what the lunatic planned, but it couldn't be anything good.

He finally landed in one of the bars; he hasn't been there before, but it looked nice from the outside and he decided to go in. He had no intentions of getting drunk, but it just happened. It was a good few hours later that Bobby found him there, almost unconscious. They were all looking for him, worried about him as well now, that he wasn't answering his phone, and wasn't at home.

"Come on, Sparks, I'm taking you home." said Bobby, pulling Jack from the chair and supporting him after he thanked the barman.

It was only thanks to him that he found Jack. He struggled a lot to drag him out of the bar, and put him into the car, but finally managed to complete the task and about half an hour later they were in the now empty flat.

"Sue would kill you if she saw in you in this state." he said, when he tugged Jack into the bedroom and threw him onto the bed.

"Don't you dare to mention her name! If you did what I asked you to, she would be right here with me! She would be safe! But she's in hands of this lunatic..! And if anything will happen to her or to the baby I promise you that I'm not going to control myself..! And now get out of here and leave me alone!"

He looked into Jack's furious eyes and walked away without any word. He didn't remember the last time Jack was so angry, and was actually wondering if he has ever been in such a state before. He knew that Hudson was blaming him; of course, he didn't suspect him of having any malicious designs, what would be ridiculous, but it didn't change the fact that at least a part of him felt like it was Bobby's fault. And it made Bobby feel horrible; if only he had waited for Jack to come back, Sue may have been with them now. He knew, that as much as his friend was probably going to regret his words in the morning, they were true. He wasn't going to control himself, not necessarily in the way he meant now. But they had to find Sue as quickly as possible; not only for her own good, but for Jack's sake as well. And he intended to make sure that it's going to happen, to be able to call Jack and tell him that they've found her, or maybe even bring her to him. If only they had any lead…


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

He woke up and groaned; his head felt like it was going to explode, and the only thing he wanted was something to drink. Somehow he managed to get off the bed, covering his eyes with his hand as they landed on the window, and slowly went to the kitchen for a glass of water. He stood against the kitchen counter, sipping the drink, and thinking that he didn't remember the last time he had such a huge hangover. He shouldn't have drunk so much on the previous evening, but there was nothing he could do with himself – at least that's how he felt – and it was the first thing, which came to his mind. And now he really regretted it.

He glanced at the couch; it was empty, and he quickly realized that Bobby wasn't present in the flat. He started to wonder if he went to work or just didn't want to stay there any longer after what Jack had told him. He couldn't believe that he said those words; yes, a part of him blamed Bobby for what happened, but at the same time he knew, that Manning didn't want anything to happen to Sue.

He sighed and sat at the couch, holding the glass in his hand. He closed his eyes, trying to forget about the headache he had, but it was absolutely impossible. What came to him to get so drunk? What did it give him? He didn't forget about his worries for sure, and now he wasn't even in any state to be helpful with anything. He didn't think he was going to be asked for help, especially after Stuart's words that she didn't want him working on this investigation, but if she somehow changed her mind it would be a disaster.

He jumped at the sound of the doorbell, wondering if it was always so loud. He slowly walked there and looked through the peephole. He blinked when he noticed Julie on the other side and opened the door, surprised.

"Hi." she said and he moved to the side, to make her space to come in.

"You were sent here by Bobby, weren't you?" he asked as he closed the door and motioned for her to come in further.

"You mean the guy from your old team, who came here to help you with the investigation? No, I haven't even exchanged a word with him. It was actually Greg, who called me and said that you might use some company. I have the day off anyway, and I'm concerned about Sue too, so we can as well worry together."

"But you shouldn't ruin your plans for today."

"I don't have any plans. I always take this day off… Personal reasons." she added, when she guessed he was getting ready to ask her why, and her face turned sad for a moment.

Then, she suddenly remembered the bag she brought and took out a bottle. There was a liquid inside, but the colour of it wasn't the most beautiful.

"May I take the glass?" he nodded and she poured some of the thing into the glass. After this she reached her arm out to him, handing him the drink. "Don't smell it, and drink it at one gulp. Smells horrible, tastes the same, but it's the best cure for the hangover."

He raised his eyebrows, ready to tell her that he has heard that a lot of times about even more things, but decided to drink it, as he didn't have anything better. He soon realized, why she told him to drink it at once, because when he moved the glass away from his mouth he felt like his whole body shook and he was wondering if he's going to vomit.

"What is it?" he asked with a grimace still present on his face, and Julie just smiled.

"You don't want to know."

Just like he guessed, she was keeping him company and reminding, that he shouldn't call Bobby every hour if he didn't want to annoy Stuart. He knew that she didn't say that to make him angry, but he wasn't happy because of it. Still, she was right, his supervisor would probably make him a horribly long lecture if he called his friend often just to ask if they had anything. The lack of knowledge hurt, but the fact that he couldn't – or at least wasn't allowed to – do anything to help them was worse. After some time he started to appreciate Julie's company and he was sure that if not for her, he would go completely mad. The woman understood his worry perfectly and didn't say a bad word against his constant complaining about sitting at home. He wanted Sue back, as fast as possible, or he was really going to go crazy. He looked at Levi, lying on the couch next to him, looking at him with huge, sad eyes and pat the dog's head.

"I know, I miss her too."

* * *

When Sue regained the consciousness, the first thing she noticed was that it wasn't so cold anymore. She opened her eyes, and noticed that she wasn't in the damp basement anymore, but she was still in an unknown place. That meant that this whole thing wasn't just a bad dream and Simon really took her. She remembered sitting and wondering what Simon is going to do with her and she must have fallen asleep at some point. However, she didn't expect to find herself in an empty, much brighter room on some kind of mattress. She also noticed a plate with two slices of bread and a glass full of water. It was only then that she realized how hungry she was.

She reached out her arm and took one of the slices. She smelled the brown thing, the slice was covered in and was surprised to see that it was a peanut butter. She was just going to take a bite, when the door to the room opened. She gasped and dropped the bread when she noticed it, but the man who was standing there just raised his hand reassuringly. He wasn't Simon, but at the same time she had no idea who he was. Anyway, he had to be some kind of his ally, otherwise he wouldn't be there.

"You can eat, these are for you." he said when she felt her stomach growl "Look, I'm not going to do anything to you. Simon asked me to keep you here until he comes back, but I have no interest in hurting you."

"Simon has, so what's the difference?"

"I was told to keep you here and I'm not going to let you go, but that doesn't mean you can't be found here."

"Sorry?" she looked at him, her eyes wide in surprise not sure if she understood him correctly.

"Look, Simon had his plan and wanted me to help him, but I've got my plan, too. Here is the phone, call someone. We're in Bronx, in an empty building. There is a bakery on the opposite side of the street, Addeo&Sons, and the car workshop with a big, blue banner with "Give your car to the best hands" on it. There is also a catholic church nearby. But don't call anyone obvious, Simon has the wiretapping on the phones of you and your friends."

"You want them to find me..?"

"Yes. I escaped to prevent Simon from hurting you."

"But why? Why would you want to save me?"

"Because I want you to help me in return. All I want is to go back to my wife and my son. I don't say that I expect you to get me out of prison at all, but I want my sentence shortened. You're with the FBI and you can get me that."

"But how can you know I _will try_ to get you that?"

"I lose less by helping you than I would by helping Simon fulfill his plans. Now make the damn call!"

She took the phone and looked at it. It was a normal phone and there was no doubts she couldn't really talk to anyone, but she wasn't going to complain. Even though she won't hear them, they would still get her message. She started to wonder who she should called; there were few numbers she knew by heart. One was hers, the other was Jack, another was her parents', but they were the last people she wanted to call. And then she thought of another one, someone who Simon wouldn't have suspected she'd think of contacting, and dialed the number.

* * *

Jack almost jumped at the sound of his phone ringing and quickly looked at the screen. He saw Bobby's name on it and immediately answered. He felt his heart skip a bit, when he heard that they had something new, and said that he'll come to the office as soon as possible. He suggested that Julie can come with him, but she declined the offer, only asking him to keep her informed. Hudson didn't waste even the smallest second and soon walked into the bullpen. Vanessa and Scott were busy at the man's desk, obviously looking for something, while the rest was discussing the plan. From what he was able to gather from his talk, they were preparing to go somewhere, where they believed Sue was.

"Jack!" shouted Vanessa, as she was the first one to notice him, and everyone else turned to him.

"You know where is Sue?" he asked and they nodded. "How?"

"You'll never believe but from Sue herself." said Bobby, and seeing the shocked expression on his friend's face, continued "She called Lucy, who immediately called me. She explained that she didn't contact any of us because Simon had wiretapping on our phones, but he shouldn't have it on Lucy's. She said something about a guy, who wants to help her in exchange for shortening his sentence, but most important thing is that she gave us hints where she is."

"Hints?"

"Yeah. She didn't tell the exact name of the street she is at, but Vanessa and Scott are already working on finding the place she was speaking of."

"We think we may even have it." said Scott, and put the image onto the big screen in front of them. "This is a view from the side; the tall building in the background is the church, here is the workshop and this is the bakery. From what I was able to find out, this building is empty for three months. I'm ninety nine percent sure she's there."

"Very well, let's go there and find out."

"May I go, too?" asked Jack and everyone looked at him like he was crazy. "Look, I'm going to go crazy if I have to wait here… I swear I'll stay with Scott and won't do anything I shouldn't do, just let me go."

"What you shouldn't do is go there, but okay. You're staying in the van and try to get out of it before they go out of the building and you'll face consequences."

"Yes, Ma'am."

* * *

It didn't take them long to get to the right place. Jack was sitting next to Scott in front of the screen with views from all of the cameras everyone had with themselves. He could feel his heart beat quickly as he was waiting to find out if Sue was there or not; he wasn't sure what he was going to do if it turns out to be a wrong place or the whole call to be fake. He was worried sick and just wanted her back as quickly as possible.

The team got inside the building and he couldn't take his eyes off the screen. He watched as the team was going further in and wished he could be there, inside. The van may have been a safer place, but when he was inside he had any form of influence on what was going on. Right now, however, he could only sit and watch, as well as pray for them to find Sue, and for her to be fine.

"We've searched through the whole place and it's empty." they heard Marcello's voice, but then Vanessa interrupted.

"I've found the door and they're closed."

Everyone immediately went to the woman, and soon they could hear the door she was speaking about on all of the screens. It was just a matter of a while before they got into the room. They saw Sue right in front of them; sitting curled on the mattress and looking at them with fear. It disappeared, when she realized it was them and Bobby was the first one to run to her.

"You okay?" he asked, and Sue only nodded.

Jack sighed with relief when he noticed Sue nod, and impatiently waited for all of them to get out of the building. The moment Bobby and Sue were out, he jumped out of the car and run to them.

"Jack!" Sue shouted and few seconds later she was in his arms, pressed against him, crying.

He held her tightly, caressing her hair, trying to calm her. He felt like a huge weight was lifted from his heart, when she was back where she belonged, in his arms. They still didn't have Simon, but at least the lunatic didn't have Sue anymore. It was possible that she would be able to help them get Simon, but for that moment he didn't even think of asking her. The only thing he wanted was to comfort her, to make her feel safe again. Everything else could wait.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N:** I want to apologize that it took me so long to update, especially that I had about half of this chapter written a long time ago. The only excuse I have is the huge writer's block, which I had to fight with for the last two months. Luckily, it seems to be going away, so hopefully, the next update is going to be sooner.

* * *

**Chapter 10**

They were all sitting in the conference room, listening to what Sue was telling them. It seemed that the guy, who decided to help her, really had a plan; when she repeated everything to them it was really logical and well thought.

"He said he's supposed to meet with Simon in the Central Park later today. He's going to send the exact hour of the meeting to this phone. He wants us to come there and arrest them, so we'll have Simon back in prison."

"Do you know anything about this man? His name, why he was convicted, anything? How can we know we can trust him?" asked Stuart and Sue sighed.

"Look, I have no reason not to trust that he wants to help us. He could leave me there, let Simon do anything he wanted to me, but he didn't. No, he didn't tell me his name, and I really didn't interrogate him! The only thing I wanted was to be sure he isn't joking and get out of there! But I do believe that he wants to help us! I _know _that!" she stood up from her chair and stormed out of the room.

Everyone looked surprised, when she slammed the door; it was the kind of reaction they definitely didn't expect from Sue. Jack was the first one to react, standing up as well and following her out of the room. Even though he couldn't see her, when he looked around, he didn't have to search for long. The first place he thought about, when he was wondering where she could go, was her office. When he opened it, he saw that indeed, she was there.

She was sitting with her back turned to the door, so she had no idea that he was standing there. Levi was at home, so he couldn't alert her. Jack slowly approached her and gently touched her arm to let her know of his presence, but she jumped slightly anyway. She suspected that Jack would follow her, but she didn't think he was going to find her so quickly. He crouched in front of her, taking her hands into his.

"I know, I overreacted. It's just…" she sighed and felt his thumbs caressing tops of her hands. "I _know_ he isn't playing with us. Why would he let me go if he worked with Simon? And the way he looked like, when he was speaking about his desire to go back to his family…"

"It's ok, Sue. You believe him and I respect that. Just calm down, you don't need any more stress…"

"Yeah… I just wish it was completely over, Simon was back in prison and we could say that we're safe…"

He stood up and pulled her to the standing position, too. Then, he wrapped his arms around her, hugging her, and she cuddled to him, closing her eyes. Jack looked at her, knowing that it all was a nightmare for her as well, and wishing he actually could take it all away. But he couldn't; all he was able to do was being with her and there was no way someone could make him leave her until they catch the lunatic. He knew that she probably would stop feeling like that only, when they would be sure he isn't after them anymore.

A while later they came back to the team, so Sue could tell the rest of the story. They decided not to interrupt her until she finishes, and only then asked her a couple of question. It was the general understanding that now it would be best for her to just go home and Jack agreed to take her to the apartment. It didn't take them long to get there and they were immediately greeted by delighted Levi.

Jack went to the bedroom to change his clothes and returned only a short moment later to find Sue on the couch, leaning to the side of it, with her head placed on her pillow. After watching her for a second he became sure that she was asleep and smiled slightly. He thought of a lot of things, but he didn't realize how tired she must have been. He just took off her shoes, slipped his arms under her and lifted her up, careful not to wake her, then carried her to the bedroom. He placed her on the bed, where she was going to be way more comfortable than on the couch, and covered her with a blanket. He made sure that she was still sleeping, kissed her forehead and left the room, leaving the door open. When he turned around, he noticed that Levi placed himself on the floor next to the bed and smiled.

He went to the kitchen, thinking of preparing something to eat, but it quickly became obvious that it was going to be a difficult task. They didn't really have a lot of food and he completely forgot about it. They will just have to order something but it's something he'll take care only after Sue wakes up. He had no idea what she was going to eat, or more specifically, what her stomach was going to accept.

He was lying on the couch and dozing off, while watching TV, when Sue's cry came to his ears and he immediately jumped to his feet. He heard Levi barking and ran to the bedroom to find her squirm in pain on the bed, holding her abdomen.

"Jack... Something's wrong... The baby..." she managed to mutter, when the pain eased a little.

His cell phone was luckily still in his pocket, so he took it out and immediately called for an ambulance. It came quickly but for him it felt like hours has passed until he heard the knocking. A dozen or so minutes later he was already in the hospital, pacing nervously and waiting for any news. Even though he understood that it just had to be like that, he was still angry that he was kicked out of the room when the doctor came. For him, all those minutes lasted eternity, but finally the man came out and walked to him.

"Mr. Hudson, you can go to her, now." he said, stopping in front of Jack "I have to say that I was really surprised to see Ms. Thomas here, because absolutely nothing indicated that the miscarriage may occur. She admitted she felt minor cramps but it is absolutely normal at this stage of pregnancy. Thanks to your quick reaction everything is fine now, but I still think she should stay here for the night. Now, if you excuse me, I have to go to the patient in labour."

Jack nodded and watched the man walk away before he slowly made his way inside the room, where Sue was taken to as he was talking to the doctor. It was a room for three people, but only two of the beds were occupied and he noticed Sue lying on the one closest to the window. She was looking outside, so she had no idea he was there. He politely greeted the woman, who was lying on the other bed, reading a book and walked further in, taking one of the chairs and placing it next to Sue's bed. He gently touched her hand and she immediately turned her head to face him.

"It's okay." she said, smiling weakly and he squeezed her hand. "The doctor says I should spend the night here, just in case."

It was very audible in her voice, that she didn't like that idea at all, but it seemed that she also seemed to accept it and he was glad for it. The last thing he wanted was a fight with her, trying to convince her to follow the doctor's orders.

"You, on the other hand, should go home." she added and noticed a change in his face expression, followed by a glare.

"**There is no way I'm letting you out of my sight. The last time I did that, Simon appeared out of nowhere." **he switched to signing, as he didn't really want their companion to know what they were talking about. She was focused on her book and there wasn't a very high possibility that she knew ASL anyway.

"**There are people everywhere. There is no way he would be able to come in here, unnoticed, while his face is being shown in every news! A doctor, a nurse, other patients, this woman here – there are so many people here that I can say that I'm safe.**"

"**You told me exactly the same thing, then. Hell, Bobby was there, only in another room and he was still able to get inside and take you! Do you really expect me to feel fine with leaving you with strangers, while my **_**best friend**_** wasn't able to keep you safe?"**

Sue sighed, it was obvious that there was no way of convincing him to leave unless they get the information that Simon was arrested. She didn't really want him to go, but he looked exhausted and she was sure that's what he must have been. And there was no way he would be able to get any proper rest in this chair. Only a moment later she started to wonder if he would be actually allowed to stay after visiting hours, and realised that most probably, he was going to be chased away in the evening anyway. She felt tired as well, and enjoying the feeling of his hand gently caressing her hair, she closed her eyes and soon fell asleep.

When she woke up, she was surprised to realise that he was gone. The first thing she noticed was lack of his hand in hers, and when she opened her eyes she noticed, that the chair he earlier occupied was still standing at her bed side, but empty. She felt a small hit of panic, thinking that something might have happened to him, but thought that it wasn't very possible. It was just a short moment later, that he went back inside, carrying a bottle of water and a cup.

"You're awake." he said, smiling and sat back on his chair. "Bobby called me few minutes ago with good news. Everything was just how you said it's supposed to and they've found him."

"That's great." she smiled back, taking the bottle from his hands and taking a small sip. "This means that you can go home now."

"You really want to kick me out of here, don't you?" he asked, teasingly and Sue shrugged.

"Just because I have to spend a night here, doesn't mean that you have to as well. Besides, you forget about something. First, I believe that poor Levi would really appreciate if someone came, took him for a nice, long walk and give him something to eat. Secondly, your best friend is staying at our place, and it's not really polite to leave the guest alone. Besides, I believe he doesn't have keys."

It still seemed to be not enough to persuade him to go home, but then the nurse came and informed him that whether he likes it or not, he'll just have to leave. It was obvious that there was no fighting with her and he finally agreed, but didn't leave any doubts that he really didn't like it. Sue smiled, watching him leave with the face expression of the little boy, who was ordered to go to his room after he did something wrong. Her heart always melted, when he made the face expression, which made him look like a big child. She thought he looked really cute and adorable then.

Her hand automatically moved to rest over her abdomen. She sighed, remembering the doctor tell her that it was actually very close and they would lose the baby. But it seemed to be okay and she felt really relieved, she was completely terrified for a while. She was happy it was fine and even more, because they have caught Simon and he wouldn't be a threat for them any longer. She would be able to focus on other things, most of them concerning the little human inside her. She knew that they would just have to look for a new apartment, because the one they lived in was enough for the two of them, but they didn't really have any place for things for the baby. She thought that they had to start looking, because it might take them a moment to find the right place, and then decorate it. She also had to finally stop postponing breaking the news to her parents, but she didn't really look forward to it. She knew, that after hearing the news they could even come to New York with a visit and make a huge scene, and it was the last thing she actually wanted.

What she however had no idea about, was that when Jack came home with Bobby, after meeting with him in the pizza restaurant nearby, they've found Mr. and Mrs. Thomas in front of the door.


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N:** I'm horrible at writing dialogues, especially the ones when people admit how they love each other, etc. I can't say I completely like this chapter, but after rewriting it five times I think it's better than it was in the beginning. I can't help but feel like it's missing something all the time, but I guess I could rewrite it thousand of times and I would still feel this way. Anyway, here it is:

* * *

**Chapter 11**

The next day was at least uncomfortable for all of them. The moment Jack went to the hospital to take Sue home and saw her face, after informing her of the unexpected visitors, it was clear that there was no chance in everything ending completely well. He couldn't even be mad at her for accidentally making him feel like an idiot on the previous evening. She was upset enough by the doctor's orders, who said that she shouldn't be going back to work, just in case. She knew it was for the best, because there was always a chance that she could find herself in danger, and the whole matter with Simon was the best example. She was also aware that it was _very _close, that she was lucky she didn't lose her baby, and she knew that for its sake she shouldn't take any chances.

When they came home, Sue's parents had to wait a little. With Simon not being a danger for them anymore, Bobby could go to California and he was able to get a ticket for a flight leaving later in the morning that day. It took him a while, but he was able to persuade Jack that he should stay at home instead of accompanying him to the airport, because Sue needed his presence more. Hudson eventually agreed and both him and Sue made their goodbyes to their good friend. Even though they had people to spend time with, who they could call friends, they missed their team from DC horribly and Bobby was one of those missed the most, especially by Jack. For a lot of years they were very close, practically like brothers, and now they were going to be separated by the whole continent. It wasn't something they were happy about, but at the same time they were both glad with the other one being happy, so it eased their negative feelings. They also promised to see each other soon, either in New York again or in California.

As it turned out, Bobby was right and Sue definitely needed his company. The moment Manning left, Carla Thomas decided to start her interrogation. Jack's words that her daughter was fine despite being in the hospital and statement that she should be the one to explain everything was enough only for that long. Now she demanded more information and it was clear that she was irritated because of being kept uninformed.

Sue only sighed and at the beginning admitted that she hid the fact of her living with Jack from them, because she knew that they wouldn't like it. She knew her parents well enough to know, that they believed that people should start living together when they were married, or at least engaged under certain circumstances, when one of them just didn't have any place to live for a lot of reasons. And the fact that she suggested Jack to move in with her because the place would be enough for the two of them, they wouldn't spend so much time there anyway and it would be also economically more logical wasn't something to convince them that it was right, not these reasons. She quickly saw that they were more angry at her for keeping it a secret than for the whole situation, but she knew it would change fast when they asked about the hospital.

Just like she suspected, her father was just silently staring at her, while her mother started her speech about how she didn't expect something like this from her, that she thought they've raised her better than this and asked if and when they plan to married. It was a question that made Sue completely lose her composure and explode.

"We do not need to be married to be a family, to raise this child! It's an institution, it doesn't provide that two people will love and stay with each other forever, just like it doesn't provide that child's life will be better! Me and Jack love each other and want to have a future together! We can never marry, but it doesn't mean that our baby isn't going to be loved and get everything what it needs to lead a great, happy life! You may say that I disappointed you, whatever, but you are not going to make me think that it's all wrong! I love Jack, I know that he is the one for me even if we're in this relationship for a few months, and I am happy that I'm going to have a child with him. You may not like it, do as you wish! You can think whatever you want, and if you're not going to accept it, the door is there! I am not going to make you be a part of my baby's life!"

Jack was staring at Sue with wide eyes and mouth open, completely shocked by her outburst. He has never seen Sue angry like that and even though he could understand her getting frustrated, he would never predict something like this. Her father's feelings matched his own, he knew her much longer than Hudson but he also never saw his daughter act like this, and he witnessed a few arguments between her and other people, especially her brothers and mother. His gaze looked between the two women and he could almost feel the lightning bolts going between them. Carla Thomas also didn't expect this reaction, and was just staring at her daughter, speechless. Finally, Sue felt like everything inside her was boiling and few seconds later she just stormed out of the apartment, slamming the door shut behind herself.

She was quickly walking out of the building, feeling a huge need for fresh air and to be as far from her mother as possible. She started to walk in the direction of the nearby, small playground with a few benches, where she knew was often peace because not many people knew about it. It was where Jack found her a while later, when he followed her with Levi at his side. The dog was the first to approach her, making her jump when he placed one of his paws against her legs, getting her attention. When she took her hands out of her lap to caress him, he placed his head in their place and was looking up at her. She smiled slightly; it was something he always did, when he felt that someone was upset or sad.

She noticed Jack only a moment later, when he sat on the bench next to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. She looked at him and it was when he noticed that her eyes were full of tears and the wet traces they've left on her cheeks. It was a matter of seconds that his arms were around her and he pulled her into his embrace. He didn't meet even the smallest resistance from her side, and she only moved closer to him, wrapped her arms around his torso and rested her head on his shoulder. He was holding her tightly against himself as she was sobbing, one of his hands caressing her hair, while he pressed his cheek against her head. He moved slightly away only when he felt her calm down and cupped her face, his thumb tenderly caressing her cheek.

"I... I didn't want to shout like this... It's just... I completely lost control... I've _never_ lost control!"

"Shh, it's okay, Sue." he said, wiping the tears away and she sighed heavily. "It must be all this hormonal stuff making you overly emotional."

"It's not an excuse for me shouting at her like this... However angry I wouldn't be, she's my mother..."

"I am sure she knows you didn't mean to react this way."

"I guess... But you know, I could already hear her telling us how we have to get married, how we can't raise a child without it and all those kind of things. I could actually hear her voice telling me, that I can't be sure you're not going to suddenly vanish into thin air..."

"I'm not going to leave you!" he interrupted, surprised by her words.

"_I know._ She didn't say it, I can't even know if she would. Still, I felt like she's implying that and I know you're not like this... I want us to get married one day, but not out of responsibility!"

"Sue, it would never be out of responsibility for me! I love you and I want you to be my wife. I've pictured you at my side for I don't even know how long! When I told you that I could be happy with a wife, a couple of kids, a dog back then, after our undercover assignment as a married couple – I've seen my future with you. You have no idea how proud I felt when you were introducing yourself as Sue Hudson, and people were looking at us and thinking how lucky I am to have you, how happy you make me, and how there is no way I'm letting you go. I _want_ that for real, and don't you ever think otherwise."

She could feel her cheeks burn slightly and had no idea what to say. She leaned to him slightly and placed a gentle kiss on his lips, wanting to show him that his words mean a lot to her. She could see in his eyes that he completely meant what he was saying and it made a warmth spread through her body.

"I think we should go home..." he suggested cautiously, unsure of her reaction but she nodded her head, knowing that he's right.

They had no idea that as they were slowly walking towards the building, where they were living, Bill Thomas was standing by the window and looking out. He quickly noticed them on the practically empty street and smiled to himself. He could see the obvious bond between Sue and Jack every time he saw the two together. There was no denying that they shared something huge and meaningful, but he still had his fears. He always thought about Jack as about an honest person and didn't think he would hurt his daughter's feelings. His love for Sue was written all over his face every time he looked at her and he felt really happy for Sue, that she found someone like Jack. He was still a little afraid because he knew how easy it was to break her heart, especially that it was obvious that the man owned it completely. Yet, the affection between the two seemed to be radiating from them even though such a long distance. It was clearly visible even in such a simple gesture as him having her arm wrapped around her shoulders as they were walking.

He couldn't say that he was completely happy with how the things looked like and he felt a little disappointed. And even though he would rather it all look like how his wife wanted it, he also knew that his daughter was right as well. And the way she spoke, the fire in her eyes, it all made him sure that the only thing they could do was accept it all. She was always a stubborn person, convinced what she wanted and pursuing it, but he wasn't sure if he ever saw her so determined in stating what she wanted. For him it was obvious that she was really devoted to this, and it was enough for him to support her. The most important thing for him was for Sue to be happy, and if she was, nothing else mattered. He knew that it was the same for Carla, that she meant well, even though she didn't really express it this way and their daughter didn't see it.

He was sure that there were few uncomfortable days for everyone, but sooner or later they will come to an agreement, like they always did. He hated to see them this way, and hoped for the 'sooner' option.


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N:** This chapter is horrible. It was supposed to look like differently but I was struggling with it horribly, it didn't want to be written. I've beaten my record of number of rewritings for one chapter with it. It's still horrible but let's just move on.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

It was a middle of the night and Jack was lying on the couch, on his back, staring at the simple chandelier above him. One of his arms was placed under his head, while the second one rested around the shoulders of Sue, cuddled to his side and sleeping peacefully. He wished he the sleep took him as well but his mind was just too full of thoughts.

It's been already three days since Sue fought with her mother, and it didn't seem to be going towards them reconciling. They at least started to completely ignore each other instead of huffing every time they were in the same room. As he watched them, he couldn't help but think that they acted in the very same way. He only regretted he decided to share this observation with Sue, because she didn't care if it was true or not, only made him a scene. It was very close for him to end up sleeping on the floor because of it, but luckily Sue's mood took a big turn before the evening and she apologized to him for her outburst. He wasn't sure if he would survive a night on the floor, as his back was killing him already after sleeping on the couch for a few days. It was only one of the things that made him wish Sue parents left. Another was the fact that he wanted the old Sue back, and with her mother's presence it was impossible. As much as he understood her mood swings and emotional states, Carla Thomas made his girlfriend a ticking bomb – one wrong move or word and she was ready to explode. It made him horribly frustrated; after knowing her for three years he learned to predict her reaction quite well. There were moments when she reacted with anger – as unlike her as only possible, and also those when she came to him for a cuddle – which he didn't really mind.

Yet, he wished it was all back to normal. It was horribly uncomfortable for everyone, but he was sure that for him probably the most. Sue and her mother often just hid in the living room or bedroom respectively. Her father had experience, he had to deal with this kind of situation before and he at least knew what to do in order not to make it all even worse. Jack however had to grope his way and often found himself in a huge need of a hiding place, which he considered to be absolutely ridiculous thing at home. The size of the apartment wasn't really cooperating with him, and with the two main rooms occupied, the only room left was the kitchen, as he couldn't really go into the bathroom and lock himself there without getting kicked out sooner or later. He was often found there, sitting at the table by the window, staring at the street, lost in thoughts. It was exactly how Sue's dad found him one day, but instead of watching people outside, he was staring at the engagement ring he bought few days earlier.

_Bill Thomas was surprised by the sight when he went there with the intention of getting himself a glass of water. He didn't need to ask Jack to know, that he had the ring for longer than they were in New York with his wife, because Hudson was spending time with Sue practically all the time. It was no secret that he asked his supervisor for some days of leave, which he easily got. _

_ "I would keep it for a while. Sue may think of you as her one, but after last events, I don't see her saying a yes soon." he said, startling the younger man and taking a seat opposite him. _

_ Jack nodded in agreement; he shared this belief completely. He was sure Sue wasn't going to accept his proposal anytime soon, not after shouting at her mother that they don't need to get married to make it work and her doubts that he may propose out of feeling responsible. It seemed she believed in his ensuring that he loved her and wanted it to happen, but he wanted to show her just how important she was in his life before asking her the question. He was swelling with pride every time he heard Sue's words - that he was the one for her – ringing in his ears and they would have to keep him going for now. _

_ "She really trusts you, you know?" asked Mr. Thomas and Jack looked at him a little surprised. "The way she is around you or talks about you, the look on her face when she looks at you, it's written all over her just how much she loves you and trusts you. I've never seen her this way with anyone. Of course, there were people over the years, who were important to her but it wasn't anything like what she feels towards you. So please, just don't let her down..." _

_ "Never." Hudson said that with a conviction and strength in his voice, the latter even bigger than he intended. "I know that you only want to be sure that I won't hurt Sue, I understand. But you don't know a lot of important things, about me, about my relationship with her."_

_ "You're right, Sue didn't really share much with us. I know you left everything in DC and came here to be with her. Even this speaks for itself, that you care about her very much." _

_ "She's everything to me. I knew that I loved her for quite a while but I didn't realise just how much until it dawned on me that I can lose her. When she said she's leaving DC, it's like the bubble I was living in disappeared and I knew that I can't let her go, not without at least letting her know what I feel. She's been in my life for a little over three years now but it's been the best three years in my life and I can't see it going on without her being a part of it. I care about her way too much to allow myself to even think that I could hurt her." _

_ The look on the man's face, emotions in his eyes and the determination in his voice left absolutely no place for anyone to doubt Jack's commitment to Sue and her father smiled slightly. He knew that his daughter was a really special person, loving, caring and he always wished for her to find a man, who would be able to reciprocate all her feelings with the strength she was able to give them. But in this moment, looking at Hudson, he was pretty sure that Jack was exactly this person._

_ "It's good to know she has someone like you." was everything he said before they were interrupted by Sue going out of the bathroom. _

"Jack..?" Sue's sleepy voice got him out of his thoughts and he looked down to notice her looking at her with a surprise look in her eyes. "It's two in the morning, why aren't you sleeping?"

He knew she didn't really expect an answer for this question – it was way too dark for him to say or sign something, what she would see. He tenderly kissed her forehead and then she placed her head back on his chest, cuddling to him again, closing her eyes and drifting back to sleep within few seconds. He sighed, knowing that he should sleep but he just couldn't. All the time he was thinking about everything that came to his mind during his talk with her father.

He was wondering how everything would have looked like if they hadn't kept denying their feelings for those three years. What if he told her how much he loved her earlier, taking a risk of dating her when they were still working together? Would she be just another person on the list he dated but it didn't work out? It was something he didn't believe could happen, but he couldn't know. Or maybe she would be Mrs. Hudson now and the baby she was carrying would be their strongly anticipated child or they would have one already and were waiting for the second one? There were a lot of things that could be different and he had no idea how would they go. He couldn't change anything now and what could be didn't matter anymore. The most important thing for him was that he had his Sue and the only thing that mattered now was their relationship, their child and making sure that everything was okay. He had no doubts that it wasn't going to be always blissful – in fact, it never was because they had different views on some things and their opinions sometimes ended with an argument. But no matter what was happening, yet another thing he knew deep down in his heart was that it was the best relationship he could ever find himself in. A part of him knew that others had no way of knowing all this, because most of it he didn't share with anybody. There was also a piece of him that was getting angry every time anyone even suggested that one day he may do something to hurt her. He knew that they were only thinking rationally, and he knew that they could never be absolutely sure that some event wouldn't make him do what he thought was impossible. But he couldn't completely accept it.

His wishes were heard and by the end of the week, Sue finally became reconciled with her mother. He had no idea how it happened, because it was a day when his leave finished. But it was the first thing, what hit him when he went into the apartment in the evening. He stopped in the door at the view of Sue and Carla, sitting together at the couch and talking. Both women laughed seeing the expression, which appeared on his face and the first moment he was alone with Sue, he didn't wait to ask her what happened.

"Well, my dad made us talk after you left. He's never done that before but he said that he had enough of it all and he wants us to end it, either by reconciling or deciding to never see each other again. We talked, shouted, I cried, but in the end we were able to reach an agreement."

"That's good. But, I don't know if I should ask, but did they by some accident mention when they're leaving?"

"After dinner." Sue smiled, when Jack looked at her in shock. "Jack, I can see how much you wish they left! I didn't say anything because they are, after all, our guests and it's not really appropriate to kick them out... But I suggested that this place is small, too small when it comes to having guests, and we want to look for a bigger one... And I also said that you mentioned something about your parents thinking about a visit..."

"Discreetly suggesting that it would be too tight for all of us here... Thank you." he hugged her and kissed her, feeling a huge relief that they will finally be alone.


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N:** Oh my, so much sugar in this chapter! But I thought that after having his girlfriend kidnapped, almost losing their baby, having his girlfriend's parents at home for about a week and suffering because of the tension between Sue and Carla, Jack deserves some love :D Of course, Sue does too, but I can't help but think that I was a little mean to our Sparky lately :) Thanks to those, who read and review, I really appreciate it. Well, I hope you're going to enjoy this huge doze of sweetness.

* * *

**Chapter 13**

When the consciousness was slowly going back to Jack Hudson after a long, peaceful, uninterrupted sleep, he grinned widely, stretching his arms and legs carefully. He didn't remember the last time he slept so well, but it was the waking up that he loved the most; wrapped in the warmth of the bed, with his arm wrapped around his girlfriend's arms, as she was cuddled to his side, with her head on his chest and her arm possessively placed across his chest. He couldn't stop thinking how wonderfully it felt to wake up to the feeling of her weight partially on him, to her smell around him, and after opening the eyes, to the sight of the most beautiful creature in the world, lying so peacefully at his side.

He knew that a lot of people weren't able to see anything other than her disability to hear, but for him she was the most perfect person in the world. She was beautiful, nobody could deny it, but she was also kind, honest, loving, devoted to everyone she loved, and had the ability to touch every person's heart. His was captured completely and he wasn't even sure when exactly, but without doubts quite quickly. He was drawn to her immediately, the moment she walked into his office, demanded a transfer and left embarrassed, when he told her of her mistake, followed by the golden retriever. Yes, Levi was one of the main reasons why he decided to seek her out, his curiosity raised high. He could only be grateful for it, because thanks to her he realised what it means to love so strongly, fully and eternally. He has never felt anything even close to this with any woman he had been in a relationship with. But it only made him sure even more, that Sue was the one for him. And now, she was his, most likely forever, and there was this bean-shaped being inside her, who in a couple of months will turn their lives upside down but in the most positive way. There was nothing he could want more.

He rolled onto his side, very carefully, holding Sue against himself all the time and held his breath when she stirred, but only to adjust herself to this new position. He smiled, his eyes travelling over her face; it was one of those things he loved about pregnant Sue, that she rarely woke up before him. It was giving him a chance to watch her sleep in the morning without getting caught, until he finally couldn't resist to touch or kiss her, what always woke her up. It wasn't any different this morning and after a while of just looking at her, he raised one of his hands to gently brush a strand of hair behind her ear. His hand, however, didn't leave her face and his fingertips gently travelled down her jaw, his thumb gently brushing her cheek, slowly moving to her slightly parted lips. He leaned in, brushing his own lips against her forehead, placing a gentle, tender kiss there. He could hear her take a deep breath, a sign that she was waking up and felt her stretch a little, making a purring sound, before the corners of her mouth moved up in a smile and her eyes opened.

"Good morning." he said, a next kiss placing on the tip of her nose and gazing into her hazel orbs. Before she was able to think of responding, he brushed his lips against hers, cupping her face with his hand.

"Mmm, definitely a good morning." replied Sue with a smile, when few seconds later he moved away a little, keeping a close distance between them, but big enough for her to read his lips "Do we have any special occasion?"

"Do we have to have one, so I can show you some love?" he noticed a gentle blush touch her cheeks, as always making her look even more adorable than usually.

"No, but there's been a while since you woke me up this way." she said, and he had to admit that it was true.

"Well, with your parents here it wasn't very possible... I wouldn't really feel comfortable with them walking in on me, kissing their daughter, maybe getting a little carried away..." her blush deepened and he knew that it was an argument that definitely convinced her, and she agreed with him. He closed the space between them once again, but this time not moving away so quickly.

His lips caressed hers, gently and lovingly, his hand tangled in her hair, her second arm wrapped around her waist. He could feel her fingers on his side, her fingertips ever so gently moving on his chest and side, sending nice shivers through him. He touched her lips with his tongue, asking her for permission to enter, and he heard her moan softly when she granted it and the tip of his tongue touched hers. God, he loved this sound, yet another thing he completely adored in her. He wrapped his arm tightly around her waist and pressed her against himself, carefully turning them so he was lying on top of her, supporting his weight on his arms. She wrapped her arms around his torso, her hands on his back, and sighed when she felt him move from her lips to her chin, place kisses along her jaw line, down to her neck, his morning stubble scratching her very gently. She let out another soft moan, when his tongue touch just the right spot on her neck, his hand moving along her side, tips of his fingers sliding under the age of the T-shirt – his T-shirt – she was sleeping in.

He groaned, when suddenly the additional weight appeared on his back, pressing him onto Sue, his arms unable to give support any longer and he felt a hot breath on his neck, as well as two paws piecing into his back through the duvet.

"Levi! Get down!" exclaimed Sue after the initial shock, when she realised what happened.

The dog responded immediately and jumped off the bed, and Jack, and sat on the side of it, looking up at them, his tail moving happily on the floor.

"Are you okay?" she asked sitting up, looking at Jack, who after getting off her was lying on his stomach, his face hid in a pillow. She touched his arm, her hand gently moving over his muscle, and he turned his head to the side with a frustrated sigh.

"I was happy, thinking we can finally stop worrying about anyone catching us, and now your dog decided to act like a chaperone." he said, making a face and pretending to be angry, and it only made her laugh.

"My dog? The last time I remember you called him _our_ dog, even though a lot of people would say he's more mine than yours..." she said, biting her lip, unable to hide her huge smile, while he tried to look wounded. "Besides, I think he just got impatient waiting for us to graciously wake up, take him out for a walk and feed him." right as if on cue, Levi barked and Jack raised himself to a sitting position as well, then looked at him.

"This time I'm going to forgive you, but next time you try to crush your mistress jumping on me, I'm not going to be so generous." he said and couldn't help but smile at the clever look the dog was giving him. "I guess we just have to get up, don't we?" he leaned in to place one final, gentle kiss on Sue's lips and slowly got out of the bed.

He took Levi for a walk and Sue prepared breakfast at the same time, so when her two boys were back, the plate with sandwiches was full, standing on the table.

"So, do you have any specific plans for today?" she asked, when he came to the living room and sat next to her on the couch, after cleaning everything after the meal.

"I thought we could spend some time outside today, maybe in the park. It looks like a very nice day, so it would be a shame not to use it."

It was soon decided and later in the morning they left the apartment for a picnic in the park. It was indeed a beautiful, sunny, warm day and as they quickly noticed, they weren't the only ones who decided to spend it this way. The park was full with people all of ages, wherever they looked they could see children playing with each other, their laughter mixing with the bird's singing.

"I wish we were in Wisconsin now... Sitting just like this in my favourite place, which almost nobody has any idea about... Only nature around us, complete peace, interrupted only by the sound of water... No cars, no noise, no people..." he said, opening his eyes to look up at her, enjoying the feeling of her fingers brushing through his hair, as his head was resting in her lap. "Speaking of Wisconsin, I talked to my mother last night."

"Oh, when? You didn't say anything."

"In the evening, after I carried you to bed, when you fell asleep in the middle of the movie we were watching..." he smiled at the sight of a small blush, which graced her cheeks "Anyway, she called me to say that my sister is coming with a visit, and ask if there is maybe any chance for us to come as well. She thinks of making a little family gathering, which could be a perfect opportunity to soothe her impatience and introduce you."

She looked at him and had no problems with reading in his eyes, that he wasn't going to travel to Wisconsin without her, but he would really like to. It also struck her in that moment, how little she knew of his family, of his life before the 'Special Agent Hudson'. He rarely talked about his past, especially the years in his home state, she caught only glimpses every now and then, when the opportunity arose. She knew very little of his family, and when she asked him why, she notice a surprise on his face.

"There isn't any reason for it..." he said, a little taken aback by the question. He never really realised that, but when he thought about it, he had to admit she was right. Even now, when they were in relationship, he rarely mentioned his family, while she often told him a lot of stories from her childhood, teenage years or just small facts about her relatives. "I guess it was just me, used to the fact that nobody was ever interested in them..."

"Well, I am. It would be nice to know at least a little about them... Especially if you take me there to meet them." she smiled slightly at the sight of a sparkle in his chocolate eyes, when she said the last sentence.

"You want to go?" he asked, a mix of happiness and surprise in his voice.

"You know, the last time you spoke to your mother, you told me that she's very impatient to meet me... I think I'd like to meet them too, and going there is a good security against your parents making us a surprise and showing at the doorstep..." he nodded, she definitely had a point there. "Besides, I guess it's better to go there now, before the baby is born... Oh, and before I start showing much, I don't really want your parents to meet me with a huge belly, and everyone around to think that I trapped you with pregnancy..."

"What? Sue..!" she placed a finger on his lips before he was able to say anything more.

"_I know_. But that's what people would think, and there would be no way of convincing them otherwise. Anyway, I think it would be a nice idea to go. I have to admit that I would enjoy some time in peace, away from the big city... I like New York, but sometimes it's just..."

"Too big, too crowded, too noisy, and too urbanised." he finished, totally understanding what she meant and sharing her feelings. "I can't say I don't like this city, it's great, but I feel like that, too. I always wanted to live in a house in a small town, with a lot of space and wild nature around... I ended in one of the biggest cities in the world, in the tiny apartment, and the only nature I can find really close to me is in the park... and the water, but it doesn't really count."

"Maybe one day you'll move again and make this dream come true."

"Would you like that?" he asked, raising himself to the sitting position, and Sue nodded.

"As a matter of fact, I would. As I said, I like it here but I also like to think that it's only temporary... That one day I'll get to have a life in a place like you described... That's what I always imagined for myself..."

"That's good. Seeing that it's our mutual dream, it's more likely to happen." he smiled, and leaned in to kiss her "But I guess right now, we're going to enjoy New York for a little more."


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay, but I always have troubles with writing fluffy pieces. I hope you're going to like it.

With dedication for **fanka77** :) Wiesz dlaczego ;)

* * *

Now, that Simon wasn't a threat for them anymore, everything could be the way it should be all the time. Their minds weren't constantly occupied by fear and awareness that they're not safe. Yes, they were both worried that something may be wrong because of their unexpected visit in hospital, but it was different kind of fear than the one they've felt earlier. It was definitely more visible in Jack; he rushed to Sue as fast as he was able to every time she called out for him, no matter how insignificant the reason was turning out to be. He just didn't want to take any, even smallest chances. But even though Sue wasn't showing it as much, she was nervous as well and found herself checking the meaning of anything new she noticed about her body's behaviour, even if it was the smallest thing.

Despite those fears, the dominant feeling in them was now mostly happiness, the kind of joy felt by two people, who were madly in love with each other and ecstatic at the thought of becoming parents in few months. It didn't matter they were together for barely few months or that both of them would swear they're definitely not ready for a baby if anyone asked them about the possibility before they found out. They felt like they were a couple forever, and they both knew that it was this kind of love everybody dreamed about. They knew that this was it, they actually knew it for some time, and didn't think that they really needed to wait for anything, because they had no reason for.

When they decided to keep the news about the baby for themselves – and later their parents, they knew that they weren't going to be able to hide it forever. And now, with Sue being assigned on a doctor's leave it was obvious that they didn't have time to waste if they wanted to inform their friends in New York personally. With Yoshike working in personnel, it was impossible that they won't find out, when the information will appear in Sue's files. So, knowing that the paper will appear there soon, they decided to ask everyone out for an evening and the opportunity arose on Saturday.

They were now getting ready to leave, or more specifically, Sue. Jack was sitting by the table and listening to the sounds made by her, walking around the bedroom, rummaging in the closet and trying to find something to wear. He quickly found out that the time when his girlfriend was dressing, was one of those moments during the day when it was safer to be in another room. Even though she was still early in her pregnancy, she was getting frustrated every time she had to get dressed because her clothes – pants, to be more specific - just didn't fit. At first they were tight, then she just stopped being able to button them. She didn't know how she didn't think of it earlier, but she found out that all the tricks people write about in the Internet weren't stupid at all, and thanks to this she wasn't as angry about it. However, the most annoying thing for her was that even though this problem was the best evidence that her baby was growing and her body was adjusting to it, she just couldn't see it. Every time she looked in the mirror and tried to notice anything, she could only sigh because it looked like her abdomen was as flat as it ever was. Yet, it didn't change the fact that the amount of clothes she could wear was getting smaller and there was nothing she could do about that.

It took her quite a while and it was no surprise for Jack that they arrived last. The moment they stepped into the pub where they were always meeting, they noticed all four of their friends already seated at their usual table.

"Every time I see the two of them together, I can't help but envy them..." admitted Yoshike in a dreamy voice. "They love each other so much that you can feel it in the whole room, when they enter..."

Sue smiled, reading the sentences on her friend's lips. Now, that there was nothing stopping them from hiding their real feelings, they heard very often that what is between them was perceptible within miles. Sue had to admit there must have been something in it, considering that everyone mentioned their attraction even during those three years when they worked together and were stopped by FBI regulations. But now, that there was no obstacles, she could only regret one thing – that they had to waste so much time.

It wasn't a surprise, that Yoshike started to squeak the moment they informed their friends about the news. Everyone agreed that sometimes she acted like she was still a teenager, but were quite used to it. Greg was the next one to hug them, and he wrapped his arms around Sue, lifting her from the ground like he usually did. Louis was a little more reserved, but still hugged her tightly, while Julie just offered a smile and small hug. Not that she has ever been very effusive, but Sue was convinced that there must have been something behind her behaviour. Still, she didn't ask, and the woman didn't say anything, and it was quickly forgotten.

"When Lucy finds out that we told them before her she's going to kill us." Jack said to Sue, when the group was focused on the TV, commenting the match being shown there, and Sue's cheeks immediately reddened.

"I actually told her... I called her one day, when you were at work..."

"Oh? And she hasn't come here, yet? What did she say?"

"I am not sure, but judging by what appeared on the screen of my Blackberry, her reaction was similar to Yoshike's..."

They spent a very nice evening, having a lot of fun. They still didn't feel as comfortable around this four like they used to with their friends back in DC, but they weren't from one team and didn't spend as much time with each other. Yet, everything indicated that one day it will most probably happen and they were glad about it.

As was to be expected, Sue's supervisor wasn't very happy that Sue wasn't coming back to work. Until then she used some of the days off she still could use, and only on Monday went to Hackford to inform him about everything. Of course, he politely congratulated but Sue could see that he was hardly happy about the news. She was sure it was due to the fact that she really didn't work long in the office in New York, just few months and now he had to look for a replacement for her, at least for some time. Yet, he didn't say any bad word about it, he was aware that there was nothing he could do unless he wanted to make her decide to resign at all, and it wasn't something he wanted.

She made her way to her office, to take her things with her – not that she had a lot of them there, and after a moment she made her way to the bullpen of Jack's team. She saw everyone there, besides Jack and Greg immediately waved for her to approach his desk.

"Stuart wanted to see him. Last week she was asking all of us what we think about him as a team leader, as an agent, if we get along. It's been six weeks since he came here, so I guess she thinks she's able to make the decision."

"Now that I think of it, you're right... It's so difficult to believe he's here so long now... Do you think she'll allow him to stay?" she noticed Greg point to the other side of the room and she looked at Vanessa.

"As much as I'm aware, we are all in favour of Jack taking the position permanently, and he lasted until the end of the trial period - Stuart didn't kick him out, so it suggest she was pleased with his job. And you know how she was with the previous candidates..."

Marcello waved to get her attention but didn't get a chance to say anything because Jack walked into the bullpen with the biggest of grins on his face, followed by the team's supervisor. Her eyes immediately landed on Sue, who she didn't really expect to see there, but then informed everyone that she indeed offered Jack to stay, and he agreed without hesitation. When she left, everyone gave him a hug and congratulations, all happy about this turn of events. Jack and Sue were happy that he wasn't going to have to worry about his career, and nothing could stop him from staying with her in New York, even though he made the decision of staying no matter what already some time ago. His team was happy that they finally had a team leader, who was really suited for the position and liked by them. Stuart was happy as well, even though they didn't know about it; she finally found the right agent, and the higher ups were going to stop complaining that she was making such a huge problems with it.

"It's a shame it's the beginning of the week and most probably, a new case will appear soon, because it calls for a celebration!" everyone agreed with Marcello, and it was a mutual agreement that they will celebrate somewhere around the end of the week.

Jack could, however, invite Sue for a dinner, and she – and Levi, too – readily accepted the invitation. They spent the whole evening like they used to do it in DC, first eating the dinner, and then going for a walk, making a stop in the park before heading home. Jack smiled, when he was about to suggest going back and turned to Sue, only to see her asleep on his shoulder. He couldn't make himself wake her up, and even though he knew that in the morning she was going to complain that he should have waken her, he carried her to the taxi, then to the apartment, and in the end, placed her on the bed. His mouth widened in a smile again, when he noticed her immediately snuggle to his pillow, and slowly changed her clothes, careful not to wake her up. He couldn't stop himself from placing a gentle kiss on her abdomen, just before he let go of the shirt he put on her and finished his task. Only then he changed himself and climbed into the bed, spooning behind her, breathing in the scent of her hair. His life really couldn't be any better.


End file.
